Incorporated changes to Championship Eligibility requirements (BOD 11/13/2011)
Incorporated change to Interscholastic AWT calculation (BOD 10/22/2011)
Clarifying changes to Interscholastics scoring section
Incorporated changes to Ultralong winning times (BOD 2/5/2011)
Incorporated changes to Junior Team Rules (BOD 1/15/2011)
Moved SPW Jury rule from timing section to Jury section for clarity
Incorporated changes requested by sanctioning chair (BOD 3/3/2007)
Incorporated change to ranking rules for MP/DNF/OT (BOD 11/11/2006)
Incorporated changes to map scale rules (BOD 11/11/2006)
Incorporated changes to relay rules (BOD 11/11/2006)
Incorporated minimum 30-second sprint start interval (BOD 11/12/2005)
Incorporated e-punch rule changes (BOD 4/30/2005)
Incorporated eligibility rulings changes (BOD 10/16/2004)
Added M-18 class to Ski-O table (presumed typo)
Incorporated addition of National Orienteering Day to calendar requirements (BOD 11/3/2001)
Changed references from "host club" to "host" to allow for current third-party sanctioning practice
Removed U.S. Champion Club rule (BOD 8/1/2000)
Removed Trail-O duplication of IOF rules and incorporated by reference instead
Global change from United States Orienteering Federation (USOF) to Orienteering USA
Changed language to clarify start interval rules
Middle course time limit changed to 2 hours (presumed typo)

Future projects for Rules:

Crosscheck to IOF Rules
Add to Trail-O section to be Orienteering USA-specific
Propose change to minimum control distance
Separate rules and guidelines
Reformat for greater understanding and legibility
General provisions w/listing of formats
Make separate Rules for Organizers section
Make separate Rules for Competitors section
Make separate Technical regulations section
Sanctioning Package Update (under consideration by the Sanctioning Committee)
Make separate section to describe each bid event format
Add MTBO Rules
Add winning time tables for foot-o formats

Clare Durand
Orienteering USA Rules Committee Chairman

Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering

A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A.1 Application of the Rules

A.1.1 Competitions described as Orienteering USA events and other orienteering events held in conjunction with Orienteering USA events shall be organized in accordance with these Rules.

A.1.2 These Rules shall be binding on all organizers, competitors, team officials and other persons connected with the organization or in contact with the competitors. The Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee shall supervise the application of the Rules. The Orienteering USA Rules Committee shall interpret the Rules and any questions should be so addressed.

A.1.3 Event organizers, competitors and team officials must know these Rules and the Event Instructions. Ignorance of the Rules will not be accepted as a valid excuse for any infringement.

A.1.4 These Rules are supplemental to the "International Orienteering Federation (IOF) Rules for International Orienteering Events," and take precedence over them except:

IOF sanctioned events hosted in the United States
International events when so agreed by the participating nations

A.2 Definition and basic characteristics of orienteering

A.2.1 Orienteering is a sport in which the competitor independently aided by map and compass must visit in a prescribed order a number of features marked in the terrain (by control flags) and on the map. In a regular orienteering competition the task is to run this course in the shortest possible time.

A.2.2 In orienteering both the running and navigating skill of the competitor shall be tested, but in such a way that the navigating skill is decisive.

A.2.3 Orienteering competitions shall be held primarily in forested terrain that, ideally, is unfamiliar to the competitors.

A.2.4 It shall be possible to solve the orienteering problems with the map, aided by the control descriptions and a compass.

A.2.5 Sporting fairness shall be the primary consideration when organizing an event and when interpreting these Rules.

A.3 Classification of Orienteering USA events

A.3.1 The word event as used throughout these Rules refers to any activity conducted by Orienteering USA or its member clubs. Meet is used when the letter qualifier for category of event is used, such as "A" meet.

A.3.2. Categories of event

A.3.2.1 The term Orienteering "A" meet shall refer only to events that are sanctioned by Orienteering USA through the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee or a Committee dedicated to the specific discipline to be used. The events shall comply with the provisions of these Rules. When the term "A" Meet is used throughout these Rules, on event Invitations without a qualifier, or when an event is referred to as a regular "A" meet the Form shall be a day event (section A.3.3.1), and the type shall be an Individual Event (Section A.3.4.1). If it is a regular multi-day event (section A.3.4.3) the number of days must be specified and the results shall be determined by adding each competitor’s total time for each and every race. The winner in each class will be the individual with the lowest combined time. Any variations must be prominently placed on the Event Invitation or be integral to the category of event as defined in these Rules.

A.3.2.2 Orienteering "B" meet shall refer only to events where the Meet Director and a Club Officer certify that the event will comply with the provisions for "B" meets in Section F.

A.3.2.3 Orienteering "C" meets are local events, which are not bound by these Rules.

A.3.2.4 The Term "United States Championship Orienteering "A" Meet" shall refer only to events that are sanctioned by the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee as "Orienteering "A" Meets" and are designated a U.S. Championship event by the Orienteering USA Board of Directors in one of the following categories:

The following foot orienteering "A" events for individuals or relay teams will be accepted for Championship Bid by the board of directors.

United States Individual Orienteering Championships
(includes separate Sprint, Middle, and Long format races)
United States Two Day Classic Orienteering Championships
United States Relay Orienteering Championships

The following foot orienteering "A" events for schools competitions will be accepted for Championship Bid by the board of directors.

United States Intercollegiate Orienteering Championships
United States Interscholastic Orienteering Championships

The following categories of foot orienteering "A" events for individuals will not be accepted for Championship Bid by the board of directors unless they are held in conjunction with another sanctioned "A" event.

United States Ultra Long Championships
United States Night Orienteering Championships

The following categories of championships are sanctioned by their respective committees and will be accepted for Championship Bid by the board of directors.

United States Ski Orienteering Championships
United States Rogainee Championships
United States National Trail Orienteering Championships

A.3.3 Time of day for events

A.3.3.1 Day: The course of a day event shall be run entirely in the light. The first start shall be at least 1 hour after sunrise, and the last at least the time limit plus 1 hour before sunset.

A.3.3.2 Night: The course of a night event shall be run entirely in the dark. The first start shall be at least 1 hour after sunset, and the last at least the time limit plus one hour before sunrise.

A.3.3.3 Both:

One course is run in the light and another in darkness.
If a course is begun in the dark and finished in daylight or vice versa, a mass start must be used.
If the event is an endurance event such as a 24 hour event.

A.3.4 Types of events

A.3.4.1 Individual: The participants compete separately, and the results are based on each individual's performance. (Except as in section A.4.1.1 groups)

A.3.4.2 Team: The participants compete separately and the team result is the sum of the qualifying (for example; some team competitions use the top 3 results) individual results (times or place numbers or points based thereon). Even if the team score is determined from the results of the qualifying members, there must be individual results as well.

A.3.4.3 Multi-day event: In a multi-day event a competitor's results (times or place numbers or points based thereon) from at least half of the competition days shall be combined. If the sum of the times for every competition day will not be used the organizer shall describe in the Invitation the precise procedures which will be used for the event.

A.3.4.4 Relay: A relay team has two or more runners. Each runner completes his/her course as in an individual event. Competitors may run different courses but each team as a whole must run the same set of legs and visit the same controls.

A.3.4.5 Group team event: The team has two or more runners, who together or partly separate complete the event.

A.3.4.6 Score event: Individuals or teams take the controls in any order in a fixed amount of time. Currently the only Orienteering USA sanctioned event that uses score is the Rogaine.

A.3.4.7 Elite event: Individual special purpose event with restricted selection of courses and classes section A.4.1.2.1.

A.4 Classes

A.4.1 Division by gender and age

A.4.1.1 Individual competitors are divided into the following classes by gender (M for male, and F for female), and age as of December 31 of the current year. Eligibility (and ineligibility) for classes occurs at the beginning of the calendar year in which the competitor reaches a new age group. M or F categories followed by course color are competitive non-age specific. In addition to individual competition, groups may compete in separate gender-neutral categories on beginner through intermediate level courses (Gr).

A.4.1.2 The following Orienteering USA Standard Course Class structure is the minimum that a sanctioned "A" meet must offer, except as amended for Elite Meets. Competition formats other than individual foot orienteering competition may use different class structures as detailed in their respective sections. One non-competitive class is required, Map Hike, on the White course.

Standard Individual - 51 Classes

White	Yellow	Orange	Brown		Green	Red	Blue
F-10	F-14	F-16	F-18	M65+	F-20	F-21+	M-21+
F-12	F-Yellow	F-Orange	F55+	M70+	F35+	M-20
M-10	M-14	M-16	F60+	M75+	F40+	M35+
M-12	M-Yellow	M-Orange	F65+	M80+	F45+	M40+
M/F-White	Gr-Yellow	Gr-Orange	F70+	M85+	F50+	M45+
Gr-White			F75+	M90+	F-Green	M-Red
			F80+	M-Brown	M-18
			F85+		M50+
			F90+		M55+
			F-Brown		M60+
					M-Green
Interscholastic - 8 Classes

White	Yellow	Orange	Brown		Green	Red	Blue
ISPF	ISIF	ISJVF	ISVF		ISVM
ISPM	ISIM	ISJVM

Intercollegiate - 4 Classes

White	Yellow	Orange	Brown		Green	Red	Blue
		ICJVF			ICVF	ICVM
		ICJVM
Age class ranges are indicated by a "-" and/or a "+". A "-" before the age means "and younger"; the "+" after the age means "and older". Gender classes contain M for male and F for female. Classes containing the course color are open to any age. Classes containing Gr or M/F are open to any age or gender. Classes containing Gr are groups. See Appendix O.7 (Course split guidelines) for information on class assignment when multiple courses of the same color are planned.

A.4.1.2.1 Elite Meets: An Elite Meet may have as few or as many classes as the Meet Director decides, but there shall be classes for both men and women.

A.4.1.3 In Orienteering USA sanctioned meets this nomenclature shall be used to describe the classes and courses.

A.4.1.4 No competitor shall be entered in more than one class at a time. (Exception Rogaine)

A.4.1.4.1 Competitors may participate on a non-competitive course after finishing with their competitive course.

A.4.2 Division by other grounds

A.4.2.1 The age divisions are divided into classes by course difficulty and the competitor’s skill.

A.4.3 Non-competitive classes

Are announced on the meet invitations as such.
Are open to any age individuals or groups.
Have no competition times posted.
Have no competitive awards given. (This does not prohibit awards for the successful completion of the course.)
M/F WHITE is the only required non-competitive class.

A.4.4 Deviations from the division into classes by age:

The dashes or pluses extend the age group beyond one year. If a dash is before an age then it means that anyone up to and including the age is eligible for the class. If a plus is after the age, then anyone that age and older is eligible.
Age is an automatic determinate in moving from one class to another. A competitor shall not compete in an age group in which he/she is not eligible as in Section A.4.1.1.
Any age competitor may enter the M/F-White class or one of the gender specific classes that include the course color.

A.4.5 Championship Classes:

A.4.5.1 U.S. Champions shall be declared in all age classes represented at U.S. Orienteering Championships. Open color classes and Group classes are not Championship classes.

A.4.6 Special Event Classes

The following special events have classes not in the standard Orienteering USA classes or have a reduced set of classes. The special classes are described in the section for that special event.

A.4.6.1 Intercollegiate
A.4.6.2 Interscholastic
A.4.6.3 Ski
A.4.6.4 Trail
A.4.6.5 Rogaine

A.5 Eligibility

A.5.1 General

Any person desiring to compete is eligible except as set forth below or in special cases designated by the Executive Committee.
Persons with prior knowledge of the competition area that they or the meet organizers believe will give them unfair advantage are not eligible to compete for awards, titles, or national rankings. (see sections A.19.4, A.19.5 and B.35.5)
Persons not eligible for awards, titles, or national rankings may participate.

A.5.2 Championship

The title of U.S. Orienteering Champion in any class as determined at an officially designated U.S. Championship Orienteering "A" meet shall be limited to any person who meets all of the following criteria:

Is a member in good standing of Orienteering USA
Is either a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States of America
During the same calendar year, has not and agrees not to compete for another country's national orienteering championship title

A.5.3 Exceptions

Additional or exceptional eligibility requirements are imposed on the following competitions and are found in their respective sections.

A.5.3.1 Rogaine
A.5.3.2 Intercollegiate
A.5.3.3 Interscholastic
A.5.3.4 Trail Orienteering

A.5.4 Eligibility Questions and Rulings

A.5.4.1 Questions: Requests for clarifications based on eligibility criteria may be submitted to the Orienteering USA Headquarters in writing 30 days prior to a championship/s.

A.5.4.2 Rulings: Eligibility rulings will be made by vote of the Orienteering USA Executive Committee. Requests for eligibility rulings received by the Orienteering USA Office at least 30 days in advance of an event registration deadline will be ruled upon prior to the entry deadline.

A.6 Duties of the Meet Director

A.6.1 The Meet Director of an Orienteering USA "A" meet shall observe these Rules, and insure that all the officials and assistants know and abide by these Rules.

A.6.2 The Meet Director shall obtain all necessary permission from landowners, and forestry, state, and other pertinent officials.

A.6.3 To promote an acceptance of, and favorable attitude toward orienteering the Meet Director should aim for a good relationship with other users of the forest and forest officials.

A.7 Applying for an A-meet

A.7.1 Applications to hold Orienteering USA "A" Orienteering Meets shall be made directly to the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee Chairman. The Sanctioning Committee's primary responsibility is assisting the meet organizers to assure the Orienteering USA membership that the meet organizers are putting on an orienteering meet of the highest possible quality.

A.7.1.1 The hosting group must be a "Regular Orienteering Club" as defined in the Bylaws of the United States Orienteering Federation or must enter into the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Agreement (Third-party sanctioning contract).

A.7.2 The form and type of the event will be determined by the host, except for those events that are designated a U.S. Championship as in Section A.3.2.4. or an IOF event. These events must be the form and type as specified in the appropriate Orienteering USA or IOF Rules.

A.7.3 By applying for an Orienteering USA sanctioned "A" Meet the host agrees to pay the necessary sanctioning fees (Section A.20) within four weeks of the closing of the event.

A.7.4 Applications for meets not needing BOD approval must be received by the Sanctioning Committee six months prior to the event. For BOD approved meets listed in section A.3.2.4 a schedule of bid deadlines will be announced by the Sanctioning Committee. IOF event deadlines are announced by the IOF.

A.7.4.1 Applications must include at least:

Name of host
Name of the event
Category, form and type (Section A.3)
Specific location of the event
Name, address, telephone number and or e-mail of the Meet Director, Course Setter, Registrar and person submitting the application.
Preferred and alternate date(s) of the meet
Status of the Map

A.7.6 Within 30 days of receiving the application the Sanctioning Committee will respond to the Meet Director. When the Sanctioning Committee determines that the applying organization can successfully host an "A" meet coordinated into the Orienteering USA Orienteering Event Calendar (Section A.8) it will sanction the meet.

A.7.7 If the host requests exceptions to these rules, or if after sanctioning is received the host does not follow these Orienteering USA Rules and the procedures of the Sanctioning Committee, then the Sanctioning Committee may deny or remove sanctioning as an Orienteering USA "A" meet, or in extenuating circumstances authorize exceptions to these rules or Sanctioning Committee procedures.

A.7.7.1 When the Sanctioning Committee authorizes an exception to these rules these exceptions shall be clearly stated in the Invitation. In addition the Chairperson of the Sanctioning Committee shall notify the Executive Committee and the Chairperson of the Rules Committee as to the exceptions that were authorized.

A.7.8 Decisions of the Sanctioning Committee may be appealed to the Executive Committee of Orienteering USA by sending a letter stating the reasons for the appeal to the President of Orienteering USA and a copy to the Chairperson of the Sanctioning Committee.

A.7.9 The Orienteering USA Map Committee will determine the suitability of the map, and will report to the Sanctioning Committee.

A.7.9.1 In the event the meet is sanctioned before the map is completed and approved by the Map Committee, the Map Committee will oversee and assist with the production of the map to assure it is suitable.

A.8 Orienteering USA Orienteering Event Calendar

A.8.1 The Sanctioning Committee will maintain the Orienteering USA Orienteering Event Calendar.

A.8.2 The Orienteering USA Orienteering Event Calendar shall list at least the "A" meets for the current and following year, National Orienteering Day, and "B" meets as space is available at the discretion of the calendar editor. For each meet it shall contain at least the following:

Date of the event
Classification of the event
Location of the event
Hosting organization
Contact name, website, email address, mailing address and phone number

A.8.3 The Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee will be responsible for distributing the Orienteering USA Orienteering Event Calendar to the members of Orienteering USA in a timely manner.

A.9 Competition leaders

A.9.1 The host, in connection with the Application to Orienteering USA, shall nominate a competent Meet Director and Course Planner.

A.9.2 When the application is approved the Sanctioning Committee acknowledges the Meet Director, Course Planner, and Course Vetter. It may also appoint an Event Consultant and possibly others such as a Map Consultant to assist with the meet.

A.9.2.1 A Course Consultant is appointed by the Course Consultant Committee.

A.10 Invitation

A.10.1 The Invitation shall be published at least three months before the event. Prior to publication a copy should be sent to the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee.

A.10.2 The Invitation shall contain the following information:

Date, category, form and type of the event (Section A.3)
Host, Meet Director, Course Planner, Event Consultant, and Course Consultant.
Classes, when they are different from those in the table in Section A.4.1.2,
Address and final dates for entries.
Entry fees, other fees, modes of payment.
Location of the event and place and time for arrival.
Descriptions of terrain, elements of risk, facilities for training, exceptions to the rules.
Map scale, field checker, drafter, and year of field checking.
Time of first start, and type of start when not an individual start. Walking time to the start from the parking area when possible, and details regarding baby-sitting.
Name, address, and phone number where questions can be answered.

A.10.2.1 Courses and course lengths, and/or lengths of relay legs, shall be published with the invitation or as soon thereafter as they are known.

A.10.3 The host shall honor information published in the invitation unless extenuating circumstances necessitate a change.

A.10.4 If a host chooses to have a registration cutoff or late registration penalty deadline, the date may not be earlier than 21 days before the first day of the meet (or meet series if there is a common registration deadline). The effective date of registration shall be the postmark.

A.11 Entries

A.11.1 Competitors' entries shall be sent in writing to the address specified on the Invitation.

A.11.2 The entry fee shall be paid as specified in the Invitation.

A.11.3 Along with other data that may be required by the Invitation the entry must include at least:

Class
First and last name
Address and phone (contact for emergencies or meet changes)
Year of birth
Status of membership in Orienteering USA or other IOF member federations and Orienteering USA membership number.
Club affiliation if any
For U.S. Championship events--whether eligible for U.S. Titles. (Section A.5.2)

A.12 Training

A.12.1 The organizer should when possible offer training areas for the competitors. The terrain, map, course and control descriptions should be as similar as possible to the competition area.

A.12.2 When maps are available it should be possible to order in advance maps of terrain similar to that of the event. If and only if the competition map has previously been used at a public meet it shall be made available for inspection and when possible advance purchase. (Section B.22.9 forbids the distribution of a new unused map prior to the event.)

A.12.3 The organizer may charge a reasonable fee for maps and training.

A.12.4 Adequate free instruction shall be provided for novices.

A.13 Draw and starting list

A.13.1 The start order shall be determined by the Meet Director or his/her designate with the principle of fairness kept in mind.

A.13.2 At U.S. Championship events, the starting order shall be designed such that top ranked competitors and those with the same interests (same college or club) start as far apart as possible.

A.13.3 The starting list of registered competitors shall be officially declared at least 15 hours before the first start time.

A.13.4 For individual starts the runners on each course start one by one at intervals of no less than 2 minutes or as indicated in the appropriate course format section (Section M). Ideally all starting intervals on a course are equal.

A.14 Event Information

A.14.1 All information shall be supplied in writing in at least English.

A.14.2 In extenuating circumstances information may be supplied orally.

A.14.3 Event Information shall be given to the competitor in a timely manner, ideally upon arrival and check in at the event.

A.14.4 The Event Information shall contain details regarding:

Event official’s descriptions of the terrain, unusual map characteristics, control flag and marking device arrangement, refreshment, controls, elements of risk, out of bounds areas, and dangerous areas
Map scale, vertical interval
Course lengths for the individual classes, leg lengths of the relay legs, and climb on the optimum route
Safety bearings, instructions when one is lost
Starting times
Deviations from, and additions to the "International Specifications for Orienteering Maps" of the IOF, overprinting that is not standard (not PMS Purple, or standard IOF symbols), and non-standard colors of streamers marking out of bounds and dangerous areas
Dressing and washing facilities, toilets, first aid, housing and camping areas. Travel time and distance between check in, parking, and the start location. Time limit when not three hours, finish closing time
Location for results posting and the awards ceremony when not immediately at the finish, time of the awards ceremony, and the number of awards given per class when different than three
The procedure at the start and finish for distributing and collecting the maps, control descriptions, and control cards

A.15 Awards

A.15.1 Awards in the various classes shall be appropriate to the number of competitors in the class and the importance and nature of the event. Championship events have specific awards requirements as spelled out in their respective sections.

A.15.1.1 For all United States Individual Orienteering Championships:

The top three finishers at the U.S. Championships in each age group class, who are eligible for championship titles, shall receive an award regardless of overall place.

A.15.1.2 United States Intercollegiate Orienteering Championship awards (see Section J)

A.15.1.3 United States Interscholastics Orienteering Championships awards (see Section K)

A.16 Results at an event

A.16.1 Within one hour of the close of the finish, provisional results shall be displayed in the vicinity of the finish or the announced location.

A.17 Jury

A.17.0.1 In the event of a protest the jury shall interpret these rules with regard to the specific situation surrounding the protest to determine whether the fairness of the event has been compromised and disqualifying conditions exist.

A.17.1 The Meet Director shall appoint a Jury of at least three people from widely separated clubs or foreign delegations as appropriate. Members of the Jury shall not be members of the Orienteering USA Grievance Committee or Orienteering USA Executive Committee.

A.17.2 The Course Consultant, Vetter, and a representative of the organizers may attend and participate at Jury meetings, but shall have no vote.

A.17.3 The duties of the Jury shall be to deal with infringements of the Rules and any other questions arising out of the competition.

A.17.4 The Jury forms a quorum when all members are present. If a member is prevented from attending the Meet Director must nominate a substitute member.

A.17.5 When in response to a protest the Jury determines that any of the following conditions have existed for a substantial group of competitors in a class, then the class or course shall be voided.

A control flag is missing. (Section B.29.1)
A control flag, the start, or the finish is not within the marked circle or triangle.
A control flag is on the wrong feature. (Section B.29.2)
The code at the control is different from that on the control description sheet. (Section B.29.3)

A.17.6 When in response to a protest the Jury determines that unfair conditions affected a substantial number of competitors and probably had an impact on the results then the class or course shall be voided.

A.17.6.1 If electronic punching is utilized the Jury is specifically prohibited from trying to salvage a problem course by deleting the times of the affected legs from the total elapsed time of that course.

A.17.7 When in response to a protest the Jury determines that a competitor has violated these rules it may disqualify the competitor. (Section B.35. Fairness)

A.17.8 When in response to a protest the Jury determines that a rule has been broken and the effect on the results is minor and only a few competitors have been affected, then the Jury may allow, request, or require a Sporting Withdrawal (SPW) by the affected competitors. Competitors may not elect a Sporting Withdrawal (as used in these rules) without consent of the Jury. (See also Section B.33.7.)

A.17.9 Decisions of the Jury may be appealed in writing to the Orienteering USA Grievance Committee within five days of the close of the event.

A.18 Protests

A.18.1 Protests against infringement of the Rules by the organizers or a competitor or accompanying parties, shall be made in writing to the Meet Director (or another meet official if the Meet Director is not available) within one hour of the previously announced time of closure of the finish, or of the actual closure of the finish, whichever is later.

A.18.2 If a protest is against a result in the provisional lists it shall be raised within one hour of those lists being displayed.

A.18.2.1 If a gross infringement in rule A.2.5 (Fair Play) is discovered after a meet has disbanded the protest shall be filed directly with the Orienteering USA Board of Directors. The Board shall take whatever action it deems necessary.

A.18.3 No fee shall be charged to file a protest.

A.18.5 All protests filed before the meet has disbanded shall be dealt with by the Jury. (See Section A.17, Guidelines for juries)

A.18.6 The basis for the decisions by the Jury shall be these Orienteering USA "Rules for Orienteering Events".

A.19 Secrecy

A.19.1 All those who are involved with the organizing of the event shall maintain the strictest secrecy regarding aspects of the venue, terrain and courses not officially publicized.

A.19.2 Team officials and spectators shall not influence the competition, and shall remain in the areas which are assigned to them.

A.19.3 The organizers shall put up notices and rope off areas or otherwise inform people to ensure that unauthorized people stay out of areas where they would interfere with the competition.

A.19.4 When the venue for an event that requires BOD approval (A.3.2) is placed on the Orienteering USA Event Calendar and publicly announced, the area is closed to orienteering competitions and training until the event takes place. Individuals or groups visiting the closed venue will not be eligible for competition, awards, or rankings, but they may nevertheless participate in the event.

A.19.5 When the venue for an event that does not require BOD approval is placed on the Orienteering USA Event Calendar and publicly announced, the area is closed to orienteering competitions and training for four months prior to the event, or longer at the discretion of the event director. If the embargo is to be longer than four months, it must be published in all announcements regarding the event. Any event that takes place on a new map shall be closed to orienteering training and competition for 12 months prior to the event. Individuals or groups training or orienteering in the closed venue will not be eligible for competition, awards, or rankings, but they may nevertheless participate in the event. The Sanctioning Committee may be approached to modify this embargo time.

A.20 Reports and Fees to Orienteering USA

A.20.1 Within four weeks the following reports shall be sent to the following persons as directed.

Official results shall be sent to the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee Chairperson and the Orienteering USA Ranking Committee Chairperson or as otherwise directed by the Sanctioning Committee. The format for the results shall conform to the specifications set forth in Appendix O.4.

A.20.2 The following fees shall be remitted to Orienteering USA for each competitor, in each race on a competitive course. Multi-day events and events with multiple races on the same day will pay a fee for each race. For events that have multiple races as part of a single competition (e.g. a sprint course competition that has a qualifier and a final), the races can be considered as one for the purposes of fees, but this must be expressed on the sanctioning application. The fees will be remitted except as modified in section A.20.3 below. A fee computation form is provided in the Appendix (O.3).

Total per-Race competitive entries, Orienteering USA and non-Orienteering USA, including DNS, DNF, DSQ, and OVT unless the entry fees were refunded:
Adults $4.00 ($5.00 championships)
Juniors $2.00 ($2.50 championships)
Note: Championships are all Orienteering USA bid events and IOF events.
Non-member surcharge:
Total per-Race competitive entries, excluding members of Orienteering USA, COF, and IOF federations:
Adults $4.00
Juniors $2.00

A.20.3 The following events are exempted from the fees in section A.20.1 and A.20.2 unless held in conjunction with a Orienteering USA "A" meet. Fun activities that involve orienteering held for registered participants at Orienteering USA "A" meets are also exempt. These events are subject to start fees that are assessed for the annual club re-charter.

Orienteering USA "B" meets
Club "C" meets

B. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

B.21 Competition Area

B.21.1 The area shall be complex and varied enough to suit the requirements of the event. It shall offer adequate possibilities for setting the technically difficult courses as well as the novice courses represented at the event.

B.22 Maps

B.22.1 The IOF publication "International Specifications for Orienteering Maps" shall be used. Deviant or additional symbols necessary because of local conditions are permissible, but they shall be published beforehand in the Event Information (section 14.4.f).

B.22.2 Maps for "A" meets shall conform to IOF map standards and shall be up to date.

B.22.4 For standard orienteering the scale shall be 1:10,000 or 1:15,000 and the vertical interval 2.5m or 5m. A different scale or vertical interval may be used for standard orienteering if permission is obtained from the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee. Map scales and contour intervals need not be the same on all courses (e.g., Blue/Red on 1:15,000, others on 1:10,000). Special scales are required for some race formats. Format-related requirements are specified in Section M of these Rules.

B.22.5 Terrain conditions which are not visible on the map and map corrections or amendments that may influence the outcome of the event must be clearly communicated in writing to the competitors. Overprinting on the competition map is preferred, but simple corrections may be drawn on a sample map when displaying of the competition map is permitted (section B.22.9).

B.22.6 The map shall be printed on good quality and if possible waterproof paper. (80-120 g/sq.m)

B.22.7 When the quality of the map paper requires the use of a protective case this shall be provided by the organizer.

B.22.9 When the map for the event has not been used in competition it shall not be displayed, sold, or distributed prior to the event. (This does not prohibit display of sections of the map where the competition will not be held.)

B.22.9.1 When the competition map has been previously used in a competition or otherwise distributed to potential competitors it shall be posted in the competition center and shall be sold at a reasonable and customary price prior to and at the event. (Section A.12.2)

B.22.9.2 When the competition map has not previously been used or distributed and an earlier map of the terrain exists the earlier map shall be posted in the competition center and if possible sold at a reasonable and customary price prior to and at the event.

B.23 Competition Courses

B.23.1 The IOF publication, "Principles of Course Setting", shall be followed for setting the courses.

B.23.2 The characteristics of the courses, in particular the map reading and route choice requirements, shall be appropriate to the classes for which they are intended. The navigating ability and concentration of the competitors shall be tested.

B.23.2.1 The progression from White to Yellow to Orange to Brown through Blue is one of increased length and technical difficulty; the technical difficulty of Brown, Green, Red, and Blue is to be equivalent, at the expert level, with only the length increasing.

B.23.3 The order of visiting the control locations shall be prescribed by the organizer and observed by the competitors. If visiting the control locations out of order is likely to be advantageous then the organizer shall check that they are visited in the proper order.

B.23.5 Any marked route or crossings included on a course shall be indicated on the map.

B.23.6 In connection with the course setting, the limitations mentioned in section 38.2 (areas to avoid) shall be especially observed.

B.23.7 When setting courses the following must be observed: There shall not be two control flags within 100m of each other on similar features.

B.23.8 Control locations shall be selected in such a manner that hazardous terrain is avoided.

B.23.9 Hazardous terrain features shall be marked with blue and yellow streamers (Section B.28.2) and competitors shall be routed around them by the use of orange and white streamers (Section B.28.1), or the use of special short legs if necessary. When it is not possible to use these colors different colored streamers may be used if the change is prominently included in the Event Information.

B.23.10 When legs cross deep water or dangerous gorges special control locations shall be located at safe crossing points. Courses shall be set so that swimming will not be necessary nor tempting as a route choice.

B.24 Course Length and Climb

B.24.1 When designing courses, besides factors affecting class such as sex, age, and the competitor's skill level, the difficulty of the terrain, the time of year, the possible effect of other competitions and the time of day must also be accounted for.

B.24.2 The course length shall be measured without regard for elevation change as the shortest possible route a runner could fairly take, i.e. around lakes and impassable and out of bounds areas as well as following any compulsory marked routes.

B.24.3 The closest possible approximation (based on an orienteer with a ranking score of 100) to the expected winning times given for each format shall be decisive in determining course lengths for all events. See the section that applies to each format for details. Until tables are fully developed, see Section M.

B.25 Course markings on the map

B.25.1 The competition map shall be marked as follows:

The start or map issue point by an equilateral triangle 7mm per side.
The control features by circles 5-6mm in diameter.
The finish by two concentric circles 5 and 7mm in diameter.
Marked routes by dashed lines.

B.25.2 The center of any triangle or circle indicates the precise position of the feature, but it shall not be actually marked.

B.25.3 The control circles shall be numbered showing the required sequence. (Section B.23.3) The numerals shall be printed with their tops oriented exactly toward North. The numbers shall be placed in such a way that they do not conceal important map features.

B.25.4 Except where there is a marked route, the triangle and circles shall be joined in numerical order by straight lines.

B.25.5 The control circles and their connection lines shall be interrupted or drawn thinner when they obscure important objects on the map.

B.25.6 Transparent waterproof PMS purple color shall be used for printing the courses.

B.25.6.1 When the courses are drawn and PMS purple is not available, then red may be used but this alteration must be included in the Meet Information.

B.25.6.1.1 Competitors who cannot properly see the red color used to mark their maps may have their courses redrawn in a color they can properly see by making their request to a registration official.

B.26 Additional overprinting

B.26.1 Areas that are out of bounds because they are dangerous or for any other reason shall be surrounded by a line and cross hatched obliquely.

B.26.2 Forbidden routes (i.e. expressways) shall be overprinted with a chain of crosses.

B.26.3 Important crossing points or passages relevant to the course (i.e. a log over a stream, or a tunnel under a road) shall be indicated with reversed parenthesis. ")("

B.26.4 The color of additional overprinting shall be the same as that of the courses. (Section B.25.6)

B.27 Control descriptions

B.27.1 The control description serves to clarify the picture of the control site as it appears on the map. It shall describe the control site accurately, but as briefly as possible.

B.27.2 The control descriptions shall correspond to the "International Specification for Control Descriptions" of the IOF on all but the White and Yellow courses.

B.27.2.1 On the White and Yellow courses English words approximating the meanings and order of the IOF symbols shall be used. When possible they should be adjacent to the IOF symbols.

B.27.8 All the refreshment controls on a course shall be indicated on the control description sheet.

B.28 Markings used on the ground

B.28.1 Required routes (i.e. those that runners must follow) shall be marked by the use of both orange and white ribbons, except in night "O" where white shall be used. When not practical to use these colors others may be substituted provided the information is included in the Event Information.

B.28.2 Danger areas shall be marked with both blue and yellow ribbons. When those colors are not possible others may be substituted if the change is included in the Event Information.

B.29 Control flags and equipment

B.29.1 Every control feature shall be marked by a control flag. Every contol flag shall have a code card and marking device/s associated with it. The relative arrangement of the control flag, control code, and marking devices shall be the same for all the control locations on a course. To minimize competitors waiting for a marker there shall be an ample number of marking devices at each control location. This is particularly important at the early controls when a mass start is used.

B.29.2 A Control Flag shall mark each control location. The control flag consists of three squares arranged in triangular form. Each square is a 30cm X 30cm and is divided diagonally, one half being white and the other half orange (ideally PMS 165). At least two of the white triangles shall be adjacent to the upper edge of the control flag. (Additional color of blue stripe 2.54 to 5.08 cm wide, centered, vertically or along the diagonal divide is allowed)

B.29.2.1 In night "O" a light or reflecting device may be included with or may substitute for the control flag.

B.29.2.2 The control flag shall be hung at the feature indicated on the map. The actual position shall be in accordance with the control description.

B.29.2.3 The control flag shall be visible by the competitor upon reaching the feature.

B.29.2.4 Ideally control flags shall be situated so that the presence or absence of competitors does not make them easier or more difficult to locate.

B.29.3 A Control Code shall identify each control location. The control code shall be a number, not less than 31 or greater than 255. The same code shall be included on the control description sheet. The figures shall be black; approximately 6-10cm high with a line width of approximately 6-10mm. Ideally the competitor will only be able to read the codes when immediately at the control flag.

B.29.3.1 There shall not be other confusing figures or marks on the control flag.

B.29.3.2 It is recommended that numbers or letters that can improperly be read upside down not be used (i.e. 86 - 98). If, however, they are used they shall have a line drawn beneath them to indicate the proper stance.

B.29.4 Every control shall have control card marking device/s. If only manual punching is used, then only a manual punching device is required. If electronic punching is used, then both a manual and electronic punching device shall be provided.

B.29.5 Any control location may be manned. When so manned, the number of each of the competitors visiting the control location and the time at which they punched may be recorded. The control official shall neither disturb nor retain any competitor nor supply any information as to time, position nor anything else. The official shall remain quiet, wear inconspicuous clothes and shall not help competitors approaching the control flag. These regulations apply also to all persons at media, communication, refreshment controls and spectator points.

B.29.6 On each course refreshments consisting of at least potable water shall be provided at least every 2.5 km. Refreshments shall be provided at the start and finish and at appropriate control flags and indicated on the description sheets as such. There shall be enough water for each competitor to have 0.25 liters (8 oz.) or more at each refreshment stop. In the event of hot weather additional refreshment locations are recommended. These additional locations need not be at control locations but must be indicated on the map. Water must be offered in a sanitary manner such that it is not practical for competitors to drink from "community drinking jugs."

B.29.7 IOF approved electronic punching systems may be used in lieu of other punching systems, including the traditional pin punch system.

B.29.7.1 The only automatically approved electronic punching systems are:

The Emit Electronic Punching and Timing system. If this system is used, the label attached to the competitor's electronic card for backup marking must be such that it will survive the conditions likely to be encountered during a competition (including immersion in water). It is the competitor's responsibility to ensure that the backup card is marked so that it can be used if the electronic punch is missing.
The SportIdent system. If this system is used, a backup unit must be present at each control—either a second electronic unit or a manual marking device. It is the competitor's responsibility to ensure that the electronic punch has been written to the e-card by not removing the e-card until the feedback signal has been received. If, and only if, no feedback signal is received, the competitior must use the backup unit.

B.29.7.2 If electronic punching is utilized, the electronic control card must show that all controls have been visited in the proper order.

B.29.7.3 Competitors who lose their control card (either paper or electronic), omit a control, or visit controls in the wrong order shall be disqualified, unless an alternate proof is provided and accepted by the Jury.

B.29.7.4 If the electronic punch unit fails to respond, the competitor shall use the backup device as defined in the meet information to prove his or her presence at the control.

B.30 Control card

B.30.1 Manual Punching

B.30.1.1 The control card may be attached to or printed on the map. Alternately the control card may be handed out separately at least 10 minutes before a competitor's start time.

B.30.1.2 Competitors shall be responsible for marking the control cards provided by the organizers clearly and in the correct box at each control location using the marking equipment provided, and handing in their control card at the finish. When competitors mark an incorrect box they should continue the correct sequence beginning in the next box. Disqualifications will be decided on by the Jury. (Sections B.33.4 & B.33.6 disqualifications)

B.30.1.3 The organizer may have the control card checked and/or marked by officials at the control locations.

B.30.1.4 When competitors lose their control cards, or a control mark is missing, or it is established that the control locations were not visited in the prescribed order the competitor shall be disqualified unless an alternate proof is provided and accepted by the Jury.

B.30.1.5 The control card when not printed on the map shall not exceed 10cm by 21cm and shall be made of an adequately sturdy material.

B.30.2 Electronic Punching

B.30.2.1 The organizers are responsible for directing the competitors to the clear and check stations provided in the call up area.

B.30.2.2 The competitor is responsible for bringing the e-card to the start. The competitor is responsible for clearing and checking the e-card, before being called up, in the stations provided by the organizers.

B.30.2.3 The competitor is responsible for punching the start, if provided, and all controls on the course as well as the finish.

B.30.2.4 The competitor is responsible for downloading the e-card data in the station provided by the organizers.

B.30.2.5 The organizers are responsible for directing the competitors to the download station.

B.31 Start

B.31.1 The competitors take their competition maps at the starting time at the start location or after the starting time at the map issue point.

B.31.2 The start location and the map issue point shall be situated in such a way that before the starting time a competitor will not be able to see which route the previous runner takes. When possible the start location shall also be situated such that competitors arriving at the finish cannot communicate with those waiting to start.

B.31.3 The type of start for an individual event shall be either an individual or mass start. The use of a mass start shall be announced in the Invitation and is to be used only when permitted elsewhere by these rules. (Sections A.3.3.3, B.31.4)

B.31.4 The mass start shall be used when an event starts in the dark and ends in the daylight, or when an event starts in daylight and ends in twilight or darkness. A mass start may be used in Ultra Long Course and Relays.

B.31.5 If competitors are late for their start through their own fault they shall be started as soon as practically possible. The actual time of their start shall be noted on their map, or a start list at the start location. Their time will still be computed, however, from their original start time given in the official start list except as per section B.35.5.1.

B.31.5.1 At the discretion of the organizer late starters may have their actual start times substituted for their official start times when this can be done for all late starters within a class on the same day.

B.31.6 If through the fault of the organizer any competitors miss their start they shall be given a new one.

B.31.7 Events using electronic punching may use an electronic start punch to determine the actual start time for timing purposes.

B.32 Finish

B.32.1 The run-in to the finish shall be bounded by two suitable tapes or ropes and shall narrow on approaching the finish line. The finish at the finish line shall be approximately 3m wide, and shall be at right angles to the direction of the run-in.

B.32.2 After crossing the finish line the competitors shall hand in their control cards or move to the download station. When required by the organizer, competitors may have to turn in their maps at the finish line.

B.32.3 At the finish there shall be first aid supplies and refreshments.

B.33 Timing and placing

B.33.1 The finishing time shall be measured when the competitor's chest crosses the finish line or when the competitor punches at the finish line. Times will be truncated to full seconds, except in sprint races, when timing to the tenth of a second may be allowed. Times shall be given in minutes and seconds, except in sprint races when times may be given in minutes, seconds, and tenths of a second.

B.33.2 In the case of more than one competitor having the same running time, they shall be given the same finishing place, and the results should show the same place number for both. When practical they should be listed in the order in which they started.

B.33.3 In competitions with mass or chasing starts, finish judges shall rule on the final placings. Runners finishing together will be placed in finish order. If this occurs at a relay event, the position of the team is determined by the finish order of the last leg runner.

B.33.4 Competitors who omit one or more control marks shall be listed as "did not finish" (DNF). If the absence of a control mark is not the fault of the competitor (i.e. missing or broken punch) and the competitor states that he/she visited all the control locations in the proper sequence, in the absence of proof to the contrary the competitor will not be disqualified.

B.33.5 Competitors who mark at an incorrect control in place of the correct one shall be listed as "mispunch" (MSP).

B.33.6 Competitors who can be proved to have visited the control points in the wrong order shall be disqualified (DSQ).

B.33.7 Under special circumstances a competitor may have their results posted as "sporting withdrawal" (SPW) and will be able to use their attendance to qualify for ranking (Section C.50.3) but will not be eligible for placing or awards at the meet. They may, however, be recognized when appropriate.

B.33.7.1 The Meet Director may assign SPW to any competitor who aborts a run to aid an injured runner.

B.33.8 All competitors shall be given equal amounts of competition time to complete their courses. Unless a longer or shorter time is declared in the Meet Information the competition time shall be three hours for all events except as indicated in Section M for various race formats. Competitors completing a course in a time greater than the competition time will be recorded as overtime (OVT) and will not receive a time or place.

B.33.9 All competitors whether finished or not shall report to the finish by the announced closing time of the finish. (Section A.14.4.g Meet Information)

B.35 Fairness

B.35.1 All persons who take part at an orienteering event (competitors, organizers, team managers and so on) shall demonstrate a high degree of fairness, a sporting attitude, a spirit of comradeship and honesty.

B.35.2 It is forbidden to obtain outside help or collaborate in running or navigation except in a non-competitive class.

B.35.3 A competitor shall not seek to obtain unfair advantage over fellow competitors, nor intentionally run with or behind other competitors during the event in order to profit from their skill.

B.35.4 Prior investigation of the competition area is forbidden.

B.35.5 Leaders of the event are obliged to bar entrants from competing (but not from participating in the event) when they are so well acquainted with the terrain that they would derive substantial advantage over others. In doubtful cases the matter is decided by the Jury.

B.35.6 A competitor wishing to retain eligibility shall not seek to obtain an unfair advantage by communicating with other competitors, team officials, event officials, journalists, spectators or others before or during the competition.

B.35.7 The competitor is obliged to show respect for other competitors, leaders, land owners or administrators, officials, journalists, spectators, and others as well as residents of the competition terrain and areas.

B.35.8 The use of drugs to obtain an advantage is forbidden. The IOF Anti-Doping Rules are considered a part of this rules document. This does not prohibit the use of medically necessary drugs prescribed by a physician.

B.35.9 Competitors for whom the preponderance of evidence shows that they have broken these rules may be disqualified from the event by the jury. (Sections B.37 Conduct, A.17 Jury)

B.35.10 Competitors for whom the preponderance of the evidence shows that they have intentionally broken these Rules causing a course to be voided may be disqualified by the jury from the current event as well as future Orienteering USA events for a period of up to two years. (Section A.17.9 Appeal)

B.36 Equipment and aids

B.36.1 So long as the particular conditions in the area (i.e. danger of infection) do not necessitate otherwise, choice of clothing shall be up to the individual. It is strongly recommended that the competitor's legs are completely covered. When particular clothing is required by the organizers it shall be announced in the Meet Invitation.

B.36.2 The organizers may require competitors to wear identifying numbers on a bib on the chest and/or the back. The competitor must not conceal any information on the bib. The bib shall not be larger than 20cm by 24cm. The numerals shall be at least 12cm high.

B.36.3 During the competition only a compass and the map provided by the organizer may be used for navigation. Personal aids not used directly for navigation are permitted (e.g. magnifying glass, flashlight, cane, eyeglasses).

B.36.4 The use of any navigation aid other than a compass is prohibited (e.g. transport, electronic apparatus, radio, pedometer, altimeter).

B.37 Conduct during the event

B.37.1 The competitors take part at their own risk while traveling to the event, in the training event, and in the event itself.

B.37.2 The competitors shall move in the terrain as silently as possible and neither by shouting nor by sign give help or do harm to other competitors, nor intentionally draw their attention.

B.37.3 It is the duty of each competitor to help anyone who is injured.

B.37.4 Care will be taken when running along or crossing traffic routes.

B.37.5 Sections marked as required routes on the course must be followed by the competitor.

B.37.6 Once competitors cross the finish line their competition is over, and they shall not return to the competition area without permission from the organizer.

B.37.7 Competitors who do not finish (DNF) must report to the finish and return their control card and map. They shall in no way attempt to influence the competition or other competitors.

B.37.8 Competitors shall not drink from water jugs in such a way that they contaminate the water others must use, and they shall not waste the water. Each competitor shall avoid using more than 8oz of water at any one refreshment control unless they need additional water to drink.

B.38 Out of bounds areas

B.38.1 It is forbidden to cause damage in the competition terrain. The competitors are solely responsible for their damage.

B.38.2 The competitor shall not enter the following areas except when specific permission is included in the Event Information:

Yards and gardens
Sown land and land with growing or standing crops
Limited access highways or fenced railways
Areas marked "out of bounds"

B.38.3 In consideration of nature conservation, the land owners, and others, the crossing of fences and ditches, as well as passing across forest plantations, shall occur in such a way that no damage is done. Barriers and gates opened by the competitor shall be closed by same.

C. EVENT CONTROL

C.39 Event Consultant

C.39.1 The Orienteering USA Sanctioning Committee appoints an Event Consultant if one is requested and one is available.

C.39.2 The Event Consultant shall be appointed when the organizers request Orienteering USA sanctioning.

C.39.3 The Event Consultant is the official representative of Orienteering USA.

C.39.4 The Event Consultant should be an experienced competitor, course setter, consultant and organizer.

C.39.5 The Event Consultant shall be in close confidential contact with the organizers and cooperate with them. The Event Consultant and the meet director are mutually responsible for keeping in contact with each other.

C.40 Duties of the Event Consultant

C.40.1 The main task of the Event Consultant is to ensure that these rules are followed. The Event Consultant is obliged to prepare reports for the Sanctioning Committee on any breaches of the rules that he can not work out with the organizers.

C.40.2 Further tasks of the Event Consultant are to:

a) Check that the Map Committee is satisfied with the map as it progresses, and that the map is finally approved.

b) Determine that the Course Consultant is performing his/her duties properly.

c) Check that the proposed organization is coordinated in general, including the support functions (i.e. accommodation, food, child care, parking, etc.) as well as the competitive functions (i.e. vetting, timing, start, finish, results, water, etc.).

C.41 Course Consultant

C.41.1 The Course Consultant is appointed by the Course Consultant Committee.

C.41.2 The Course Consultant shall be appointed after the application is accepted.

C.42 Duties of the Course Consultant

C.42.1 The Course Consultant shall be in close communication with the Course Setter and the Event Consultant.

C.42.2 The duties of the Course Consultant are to advise the course setter:

a) To make sure that the courses will be proper for their level and consistent with these rules.

b) As to the suitability of the courses for the particular event and area.

c) As to the suitability of the start, the map issue point, and the finish location.

C.43 Costs for Consultants

C.43.1 Consulting for events is done on a volunteer basis without reimbursement.

C.44 Reports from the Event and Course Consultant

C.44.1 The Event Consultant and Course Consultant will each send a short informal report to the Sanctioning Committee and Meet Director outlining any procedures that worked particularly well and might have application at other events as well as pointing out any problems and how they could have been avoided.

C.45 Course Vetter

C.45.1 The Course Vetter is appointed by the Meet Director and approved by the Sanctioning Committee.

C.45.2 The Vetter should be an experienced Course Setter and Vetter.

C.45.3 The duties of the Vetter are to check all aspects of the course setting, including:

Checking the quality of the map in relation to the specific courses and control locations and assisting with any over printing which may be required.
Checking the correct position of the start, map issue point, control flags and finish location.
Checking the correct codes on the control flags against the codes on the control description cards, and the location and visibility of the marking equipment (i.e. punches).
Making sure that the control descriptions are appropriate and that they correctly describe the positions of the controls flags.
Making sure that the courses and other information pre-printed on the maps are properly drawn.

C.45.3 When possible the Course Vetter should be present during the competition.

C.45.4 When possible the Course Vetter should sit as a non-voting member of the Jury.

C.50 National Rankings

C.50.1 The chairperson of the ranking committee will submit to the publication committee the annual rankings of all orienteers who meet all of the following conditions:

Are Orienteering USA members at anytime between January 1 and November 15 of the ranking year.
Earn daily ranking points on at least four days on the same color course in any class except M/F-White and Gr on color course.

C.50.2 Daily Ranking points from competition are earned by:

Competing in one day of an individual Orienteering USA sanctioned class "A" meet with individual staggered starts (including elite meets), on a course proper for your age that is not invalidated by the Jury or Meet Officials, and completing the course or receiving a disqualifying designation as in section C.50.2.1 below.
Completing a course above the course that is proper for your age at a meet satisfying the criteria in C.50.2a above.

C.50.2.1 Persons who are disqualified (except as in section C50.3c and C50.3d), do not finish the course, or who are overtime—for any reason, including injury—are assigned a Daily Ranking Score of 0.

C.50.2.2 Daily Ranking points earned by competition are calculated as follows: The Course Difficulty is calculated from the average of the Personal Course Difficulty of each competitor, which is the competitor’s ranking points for that race multiplied by their time in minutes.

This calculation is circular, so the Iteration Method is used to determine each competitor’s ranking points. All competitors start with 50 points, and the calculations are repeatedly performed until the results converge.
The average Personal Course Difficulty is a harmonic mean, which is the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals. This causes the results in (a) to converge and results in non-drifting (i.e., significant) results.

C.50.3 Daily ranking points can also be earned by:

Completing a course at a Canadian national level "A" meet in a class equal to or higher than the Orienteering USA class in which the person will be ranked. Canadian events which will be accepted for Orienteering USA ranking will be listed at least 6 months before the event.
Losing time or being disqualified, because of assisting in an emergency situation, as determined by the meet director.
Being assigned a "Sporting Withdrawal", as in section A.17.8 or B.33.7.
Starting a course that is voided by meet officials.
Completing a course at a Orienteering USA sanctioned class "A" meet that does not meet the requirements of C.50.2a, such as a Relay.
Completing a course at a Orienteering USA sanctioned class "A" meet that has fewer than five finishers (three for White courses). These courses will not yield statistically significant ranking results so will not count numerically towards a ranking score.

C.50.4 Daily Ranking credits are only used to qualify for annual ranking by those otherwise unable to meet the required number of days. Daily ranking credits are obtained from: Administration of a day of a Orienteering USA sanctioned class "A" meet in such a capacity that, at the discretion of the meet director, the person cannot physically or fairly enter the event.

C.50.5 Calculation of annual ranking points are as follows:

For each qualifying person, take their best 4 daily ranking point days plus 1/2 of the remaining ranking point days (i.e., if 6 races are run, the top 4 + [1/2 X 2] = 5 races are ranked), and average them to the nearest tenth of a point. Competitors who need credits (Section 50.4) to meet their minimum requirements will have the points from all their point qualifying competitions (Sections 50.2 & 50.3) on courses of one color averaged for their ranking in their class on that color course.
Next, determine the top three ranked individuals on the course for the year, average their annual ranking points, and divide the result into 100, calling the result the Normalization Factor (NF). Multiply the ranking points of everyone ranked on the course by NF to determine their final ranking points, to the nearest tenth of a point.
Finally, separate the persons on the course into their classes and list them in order.

C.50.6 Persons who qualify for ranking on a course will be ranked in the class on the course that is nearest their own age, regardless of the class(es) they actually ran.

C.50.7 A person may receive annual rankings on two different courses, provided that on one of the courses, they obtain daily ranking points (no credits) for the full number of days needed for ranking, else they will only receive ranking on the course and class nearest their own Orienteering USA "A" class. If they meet these more stringent requirements on one course, the second course need only meet the normal requirements.

C.50.8 Persons failing to meet the minimum annual ranking requirements for any class may be listed at the bottom of the class (in the unofficial rankings), with their points and number of qualifying days, at the discretion of the Ranking Committee.

C.51 Ranking Awards

C.51.1 At the end of the orienteering year those competitors meeting the requirements of section C.50.1 and appearing in the official ranking list will be eligible for awards as follows:

The top three finishers in the rankings in each "A" class will be presented the gold award patch by Orienteering USA.
Orienteers in each "A" class not receiving gold awards and acquiring points within 20% of the average of the gold award winners in their class shall receive silver awards.
Orienteers in each "A" class not receiving gold or silver awards and within 30% of the average of the gold award winners in their class shall receive bronze awards.

D. U.S. FOOT ORIENTEERING TEAMS

D.1. Senior Team

The U.S. Senior Team is a designated group of advanced competitors that exists to promote and encourage the highest possible competitive standards among U.S. orienteers and to represent the United States at international events.

D.1.1 Senior Team annual meeting: The senior team will hold an annual meeting to hold appropriate elections and vote on necessary team business.

D.1.2 Senior Team Staff. The team staff personnel are:

The Executive Steering Committee (ESC) consists of up to seven members, who set policy for the Team. The ESC will be elected by the Team at its annual meeting. The ESC members will serve staggered two-year terms. The selections will be sent to the Orienteering USA Vice President in charge of teams.
The Team Administrator, who is the administrative leader of the Team, will be appointed by the ESC for a 2 year term.
The Team Coach is in charge of Team training and development. The team coach will be appointed by the ESC for a 1 year term with the option to renew after an annual review.
Additional personnel may be appointed by the ESC.

D.1.3 Senior Team Selection Committee: Each year a three person committee composed of an ESC member chosen by the ESC, and two others approved by the ESC will initially select the members of the Team. This Team Selection Committee cannot include active Team members. The Team Selection Committee may add team members at any time during the year.

D.1.3.1 Senior Team selection is based on:

The results of national and international competition
Dedication to the sport of Orienteering
Demonstration of sporting attitude.

D.1.3.2 Senior Team members must be members of Orienteering USA.

D.1.4 Senior Team reports: Reports on policy-setting activities from the Chairman of the ESC and reports on policy execution from the Team Administrator, Coach, and heads of any committees designated by the ESC should be sent to the Orienteering USA Vice President in charge of teams.

D.1.5 Senior Team Staff policy negation: If the Team Administrator, Coach or any committee head is in disagreement with policies set forth for him/her to execute, the Orienteering USA Vice President assigned for teams will, at last resort, act as an arbitrator while the two parties work out a compromise.

D.1.6 Senior Team Selection Rules

D.1.6.1 The Team Trials: esignation of a meet as the Team Trials will be made jointly by the Team ESC and the Sanctioning Committee. The meet must be, at a minimum, open to all persons eligible to represent the USA at the WOC. The Team Trials will have either two or three races.

D.1.6.1.1 The makeup of the US Team to the World Orienteering Championships (the WOC Team) is based primarily on the results of a team selection competition (the Team Trials) held during the period 2 to 4 months before the WOC. This competition can be held as part of an A-meet, or it can be a separate event, subject to the regulations of a normal A-meet, except that only the M21 and F-21+ categories are required.

D.1.6.1.2 Team Trials Map Makers: No competitor shall be considered ineligible for the Team Trials due to having made the map(s) on which the competition is held. The ESC and Sanctioning Committee should take into account the people who made the map(s) when deciding where to hold the Team Trials.

D.1.6.1.3 Team Trials Scoring Method: The Team ESC will decide on the scoring method, which must be announced in the meet invitation. The scoring method will be based on the results (times, points, and/or place numbers) of the Team Trials, and, optionally, may also be based in part on Orienteering USA rankings, other Orienteering USA "A" event results, or IOF World Rankings The scoring method must generate an ordered list of competitors, hereafter called the scoring list. If no scoring method is announced, then the scoring will be the same as at the previous Team Trials.

D.1.6.1.4 Team Trials Review Panel: A Review Panel consisting of a minimum of three persons and a maximum of five persons will be named by the ESC and approved by the Orienteering USA Vice President assigned for teams. The members of the Review Panel will be listed in the meet registration information. The majority of the members of the Review Panel will have no direct affiliation with the U.S. Standing Team (ESC members, Team members or coaching staff). The Review Panel members need not be in attendance at the Team Trials if suitable arrangements (e.g. telephone, internet) can be arranged for discussion.

D.1.6.2 Standing Team Selection. Standing Team selection is based on:

The results of national and international competition. Not including the results of any night-O in the rankings
Dedication to the sport of Orienteering
Demonstrating a sporting attitude

D.1.6.2.1 Team Candidacy Declarations & Eligibility: Senior Team members must be members of Orienteering USA. On the entry form for the Team Trials, each competitor will declare his/her candidacy. A competitor is a candidate for the WOC team if he/she is:

Eligible to represent the USA at the WOC. This requires current Orienteering USA membership and United States Passport at least 48 hours before the first start on the first day of the Team Trials
Intending to participate in the WOC if he/she earns a slot on the WOC Team

Competitors who are not candidates may, at the discretion of the meet organizers, be started in a separate start window from the team candidates. Competitors may revise their candidate status up until 48 hours before the first start on the first day of the Team Trials.

D.1.6.2.2 Number of Selections and Team Trial scoring: The WOC Team (for women, and similarly for men) will consist of the number of competitors required to make up a WOC relay team, plus one. At the current time, this number is four (four men and four women). The maximum is 5 men and 5 women. The threshold for taking a 5th member will be determined by the ESC and announced in the Team Trials invitation. Under normal circumstances, these will be taken from the top (four) candidates from the scoring list at the Team Trials. If one of the members of the WOC Team is not able to attend, the next highest placed person on the scoring list will be substituted.

D.1.6.2.3 Exceptions to the Scoring List: The Review Panel will be allowed, under certain circumstances, to make a maximum of two exceptions to the scoring list (two men and two women). In such cases, these people will be inserted into the scoring list in positions designated by the Review Panel, and the rest of the names will be shifted down. A person already on the scoring list may be inserted (moved) into a higher place on the list, but may NOT be moved to a lower place on the list. One of the insertions may be (but need not be) in the top four. The second insertion (if made) must be below the top four. In order for a candidate to be eligible for one of these "discretionary berths", certain criteria must be met.

The candidate must submit a petition to the ESC requesting consideration for an exception. For a candidate who competes at the Team Trials, this petition must be submitted within one hour of the competitor's reporting to the finish on the final day of the Team Trials, and explain the circumstances why he/she was not able to produce a representative result (e.g. illness, organizers error resulting in an unfair situation, etc.). For candidates who do not compete at the Team Trials, the petition must be submitted before the first start on the final day of the Team Trials, and explain why he/she was unable to attend. Specific information regarding to whom petitions should be submitted must appear in the meet invitation. Petitions must be signed by the petitioner, and may not be submitted on behalf of other people.
The candidate must either:
- Be ranked in the top 3 WOC-eligible people in M21/F-21+ for the most recent 12-month* Orienteering USA Rankings
  OR
- Be in the top 5 WOC-eligible people in M21/F-21+ of the most recent 12-month* Orienteering USA Rankings AND (finished in the top five in M21/F-21+ at the most recent U.S. (Classic Distance) Orienteering Championship
  OR
- Be unranked or have no U.S. Champs result due to living outside of North America for at least 6 of the previous 12 months preceding the team trials, and submit along with the petition a summary of his/her (foreign) competition results and world ranking (if available) for the preceding year.
  
  * The 12-month rankings to be used are for the period from 0 to 12 months before the Team Trials.

D.1.6.2.4 Possible Prearranged Scoring List Exception for the Course Setter: A candidate who is in the top three in the Orienteering USA Rankings, and who finished in the top three at the most recent U.S. Championships (at the time of the sanctioning of the Team Trials), may make an arrangement to be named to the WOC Team if he/she is course setter for the Team Trials. A maximum of one person (one man or one woman) may be named to the WOC Team in this manner. The position of this candidate in the scoring list (probably, but not necessarily, in the top four) will be by mutual agreement of the candidate and the ESC, and will be announced in the meet invitation. In such a case, this would be considered one of the discretionary berths, and the Review Panel would be allowed to make no more than one additional exception of that gender.

D.1.6.2.5 WOC and Exception Eligibility Determination: The Team ESC has the responsibility of determining who is eligible for the US Team, based on citizenship requirements, and who is eligible to submit petitions, based on US Team eligibility, rankings, and championship results. Any questions about who is or is not eligible to submit a petition will be answered by the ESC. The ESC will forward all eligible petitions to the Review Panel.

D.1.6.3 Grievance Process: The evaluation of petitions and the circumstances described therein will be the sole decision of the Review Panel. In cases where malfeasance or corruption on the part of the Review Panel is alleged, a grievance may be filed with the Orienteering USA Grievance Committee, which may call for a new Review Panel to be convened.

D.2 Junior Team

The U.S. Junior Team is a designated group which exists to recognize and support promising competitors of age 20 and under and to promote and encourage the highest possible competitive standards among U.S. junior orienteers.

D.2.1 The leadership of the team is:

The Junior Team Executive Steering Committee (JTESC), who make recommendations on Team polity including Team Administrator, Team Coach, and JWOC team Selection Criteria. The JTESC will also be responsible for the financial support and preparation of the Junior Training Camps around the nation and the JWOC team. They will also implement these policies with the help of the Junior Team Community. The JTESC will be appointed by the Orienteering USA Vice President in charge of competition and those wishing to serve should contact him or her.
The Team Administrator, who is the administrative and overall head of the Team. The Team Administrator will be an automatic member of the JTESC.
The Team Coach, who is in charge of Team training and development. The team coach will be an automatic member of the JTESC.
Any additional subordinate personnel may be appointed by the JTESC or Team Administrator.

D.2.2 The Team Administrator and Team Coach will be appointed each calendar year by the Orienteering USA VP in charge of competition or designate, who will take into consideration the recommendations of the JTESC for appointing those positions.

D.2.3 Each year a three person committee composed of the Team Coach, the Team Administrator or designate, and the Orienteering USA VP in charge of competition or designate will select the members of the Junior Team. The selection is based on:

Competitive results and national rankings
Dedication to the sport of Orienteering
Demonstrating a sporting attitude
Nomination by regional or local Orienteering USA members
Attendance at training camps for juniors

D.2.4 Team members must be members of Orienteering USA, and run at the Orange level or higher. The Team Coach may add or remove team members at any time.

D.2.5 U.S. Junior Team Selection Rules for the JWOC:

The makeup of the U.S. Team to the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC Team) will be determined by a selection committee using an objective scoring method as detailed below. When the scoring criteria are made, they will be disseminated to prospective JWOC members through Junior Team e-mail lists, and other communication methods, so as to reach as many juniors as possible. This message will also include information on how petitions are to be submitted. The criteria for team selection will be published at least a year in advance of the cut-off date for choosing the team.

Selections Committee: The selections will be made by a 3-person committee composed of the Junior Team Coach, Junior Team Administrator or designate, and Orienteering USA VP in charge of competition or designate and must be Orienteering USA members.
Scoring: The team selection committee will use a scoring method based primarily on 12-month rankings. The scoring method must generate an ordered list of candidates, hereafter called the scoring list, although extenuating circumstances can be taken into consideration. These extenuating circumstances may include illness, time spent studying abroad, etc. The actual number of JWOC team members will be determined by analysis of the ranking scores of the juniors and a minimum ranking score may be used.
Rankings: The primary rankings used for selections will be the M-20 and F-20 classes. M-21+ and F-21+ or Classes outside of the standard Orienteering USA structure (e.g. Intercollegiate or Interscholastic Varsity) may also be included in the scoring method at the discretion of the selections committee. Generally, only candidates with at least four days of ranking credit and a minimum ranking score set by the JTESC will be considered. Candidates who wish to be considered on the basis of fewer days or a lower ranking score must petition for an exception as described below.
Cutoff date: As part of the scoring method announcement, the selection committee will announce a cutoff date. The rankings generated for selections will be based on A-meets held between one year prior to the cutoff date and the cutoff date. The cutoff date should take into consideration major events involving prospective members of the Junior Team and the logistics of juniors planning travel arrangements.
Number of Team Members: The maximum JWOC team size will be the maximum allowed by the IOF (currently 6 men and 6 women). If few juniors meet the minimum score, the team may be reduced in size.
Eligibility: The selections committee has the responsibility of determining who is eligible for the JWOC Team, based on citizenship and age requirements, and who is eligible to submit petitions, based on JWOC Team eligibility and championship results.
Petitions: Candidates who do not meet all the minimum requirements set forth above but still want to be considered must submit a petition to the selections committee requesting consideration for an exception. Petitions must be submitted by the petitioner or their parent or legal guardian, and may not be submitted on behalf of other people.
Grievance Process: The evaluation of petitions and the circumstances described therein will be the sole decision of the selections committee. In cases where malfeasance or corruption on the part of the selections committee is alleged, a grievance may be filed with the Orienteering USA Grievance Committee, which may call for a new selections committee to be convened. In such a case the new selections committee members will be appointed by the Orienteering USA Executive Committee.

D.3 Authorization for IOF Competition

D.3.1 The make-up of the U.S. Team to the World Orienteering Championships (the WOC Team) is based primarily on the results of a team selection competition held in the spring before the World Championships. This competition may be open to anyone, or it may be by invitation only. If it is by invitation only, invitations will be issued by the Team Coach, based largely on the current national rankings for F-18, F-20, F-21+, M-18, M-20, and M-21+. Any individual not invited may petition the Team Coach for an invitation.

D.3.2 The Student Championship Team will be determined in part at the U.S. Intercollegiate Championships prior to the Student World Championships by automatically selecting the top 3 men and top 3 women from among the eligible senior competitors (from M-21+ and F-21+) The remaining 2 men and 2 women, and alternates, will be selected by the Team Selection Committee.

D.3.3 If the size of the teams allowed at the University World Championships changes from its current 5 men and 5 women, then approximately 60% of the team will be based strictly on the results of the Intercollegiate competition, with the remaining members selected by the Team Selection Committee.

D.3.4 Other International Events: Though the numbers may vary, these principles shall apply to the selection of teams to all other official international events (with the exception of Ski-Orienteering events) unless otherwise stated by the Executive Committee.

Team Selection Committee: The Team Selection Committee will consist of the Team Coach, the Vice President in charge of competition, and a third member to be named by the Coach and the Vice President in charge of competition.
An authorization to compete as an individual in IOF meets is not required by the Orienteering USA.
When authorizations are required by other countries, they may be issued for individual competition in IOF meets below the elite level by the Orienteering USA Team Coach, a member of the Executive Committee, or an Orienteering USA chartered Regular Club.
These authorizations should contain the competitor's name, year of birth and IOF class.
When authorizations are required by other countries they may be issued to any Orienteering USA member for individual competition in IOF meets at the elite level by the Orienteering USA Team Coach or a member of the Executive Committee. An Orienteering USA Regular Club may issue an elite authorization to holders of Gold, Silver, or Bronze national ranking medals in the M-21+ class.
These elite authorizations or licenses should contain the competitor's name, year of birth and IOF class as well as the competitor's ranking.

E. RULES FOR SKI ORIENTEERING COMPETITION

E.1 Application of the Rules

E.1.1 Competitions described as Orienteering USA ski-orienteering "A" meets shall follow these rules. Other Orienteering USA rules described previously in Sections A through C are applicable to the conduct and administration of ski-orienteering events, as appropriate.

E.2 Definitions and basic characteristics

E.2.1 In ski-O the skiing and navigating skill of the competitor shall be tested, such that the navigating skill shall be decisive.

E.2.2 Ski-O competitions shall primarily be held in terrain unknown to the competitors. In the terrain there shall be several route choice options following tracks when possible.

E.2.3 In ski-O the competitors shall travel on skis. An ideal course should test experienced skiers with several skiing techniques, for example diagonal, skating and downhill. The competitors may travel on foot, but must transport their own skiing equipment at all times.

E.2.4 Bushwhacking is permitted in ski-O. For reasons of safety and fairness, the possibility of bushwhacking should be described in Event Information. In the design of ski-O courses, consideration should be given that the bushwhacking of early competitors does not give significant advantage to later competitors.

E.3 Classification

E.3.1. Categories of events

E.3.1.1 The term "Ski-Orienteering 'A' Meet" shall refer only to meets that are sanctioned by the Ski-O Committee and which comply with the provisions of these Rules.

E.3.1.2 The term "United States Ski Orienteering Championship" shall refer only to a meet which is designated a U.S. Championship event by the Orienteering USA Board of Directors and sanctioned as an "A" meet by the Ski-O Committee in one of the following categories:

United States Sprint Ski-Orienteering Championships
United States Long Ski-Orienteering Championships

E.3.1.3 U.S. Ski-Orienteering Championship events will be held every other year, in years prior to the biannual World Ski-Orienteering Championships. Each championship will be determined based on the results of a one-day competition.

E.3.2. Types of events

E.3.2.1 A "sprint" ski-orienteering course is one which features many short legs, and where an intricate trail network is used to put a premium on navigating skills. An ideal sprint course might have 10-12 controls.

E.3.2.2 A "long" ski-orienteering course is one which features long legs and tends to test skiing stamina. An ideal long course might have 5-6 controls, though more might be required to present the optimum navigational challenge on a particular map.

E.4 Classes

E.4.1 A Class "A" ski-orienteering meet should have a minimum of the following courses and classes:

Course	Sprint	Long	Classes
White	1.5-3 km	2-3 km	F-White, M-White
Orange	3-5 km	4-6 km	F-16, F-18, F40+, F55+, F-Orange, M-Orange
Red	5-7 km	7-9 km	F19+, M-18, M40+, M55+, M-Red
Blue	7-12 km	10-20 km	M19+

E.4.2 A competitor's age as of December 31st of the year of the event shall determine what class s/he may compete in.

E.4.3 A class may be combined with another if it has fewer than three competitors.

E.4.4 In a U.S. Ski-Orienteering Championship event the championship classes shall be limited to: F-16, F-18, F19+, F40+, F55+, M-16, M-18, M19+, M40+, M55+.

E.4.5 In a U.S. Ski-Orienteering Championship event, at the discretion of the host, the M40+ class may be held on the Blue course and the F40+ class may be held on the Red course. This would be appropriate when the elite courses are not too long, when the difficulty of the terrain is not excessive, and when the longer courses would offer greater navigating challenges.

E.5 Invitation

E.5.1 Sanctioning must be requested from the Orienteering USA Ski-O Committee by the November 1st prior to the meet.

E.5.2 The hosting group must be a "Regular Orienteering Club" as defined in the Bylaws of the United States Orienteering Federation or must enter into the Orienteering USA Sanctioning Agreement (Third-party sanctioning contract).

E.5.3 The sanctioning request should include the following information:

Name of host
Name of event
Type of event
Specific location of the event
Name, address, telephone number of Meet Director
Preferred and alternate date(s) of the meet
Status of the map

E.5.4 For "A" meets which are not U.S. Championships, the type of the event (sprint race or long race) will be determined by the host.

E.5.5 The following special events must receive BOD approval before sanctioning.

United States Sprint Ski-Orienteering Championships
United States Long Ski-Orienteering Championships

E.5.6 The sanctioning decision for any "A" meet will be made by the Ski-O Committee of the Orienteering USA.

E.5.7 The Ski-O Committee is ready to assist prospective Meet Directors in any way possible in organizing ski-O meets. Meet Directors are encouraged to contact the committee at an early stage of their planning process.

E.6 Calendar

E.6.1 The Ski-O Committee will make its decision on sanctioning a meet by the November 15th prior to the meet. The Ski-O Committee will communicate with the chair of the (foot-O) Sanctioning Committee in order to place an event on the Orienteering USA Event Calendar. If the Sanctioning Committee chair foresees potential problems with a particular "A" ski-O meet, s/he should try to work out the problem with the Ski-O chair. The Orienteering USA Vice President in charge of competition should be advised immediately of this discussion, and will decide what further action is necessary if the problem is not resolved at the lower level.

E.7 Event Information

E.7.1 In the preparation of Event Information, meet organizers should review:

Section A.14.4
Section D (ski-O): 16.1, 17.1, 23.5, 24.2

E.9 Jury, postponement and cancellation

E.9.1 In ski-O unfavorable snow and weather conditions may prevent a fair competition. The principle of sporting fairness (A.2.5) should be observed as guidelines in the following decisions of the jury:

The event shall be postponed, canceled or temporarily interrupted when the circumstances put the skiers or officials in danger.
The event shall be postponed when the temperature, one hour before the beginning of the event, is colder than -20C.
The preliminary announcement of the possible postponement should be made at the latest 2 hours before the beginning of the event, and the announcement of the new beginning at the latest two hours in advance.
Under exceptional circumstances, when the postponement of an event is out of the question, a mass start may be used. For example, a significant snowfall in the hours immediately prior to the event may make it impossible to regroup the tracks and trails before the event. In order to prevent later competitors from following the route of earlier competitors in the fresh snow (thereby negating navigating skill), and in order to assure that later competitors do not ski on significantly faster tracks than earlier competitors, a mass start may be appropriate.
In the case of poor snow conditions, a preliminary decision on whether to hold the meet must be made by the meet organizer by 6:00 p.m. two evenings prior to the meet. A telephone number must be included in the entry form that competitors can call that evening to check if the meet will be held.

E.10 Secrecy

E.10.1 When the venue is placed on the Orienteering USA Event Calendar and publicly announced, the area is closed to orienteering competitions and training for any purpose prior to the event for individuals or groups wishing to retain competition eligibility. An individual who skis at the venue during this period of time as a participant in a sanctioned (by a ski organization or educational institution) cross-country ski race will not lose eligibility for the upcoming ski-orienteering competition as long as such activity is limited to the official race course.

E.11 Reports and fees to Orienteering USA

E.11.1 Within four weeks the organizers will submit official results to the Ski-O Committee, Orienteering USA Headquarters and the editors of ONA. The Ski-O Committee will also be sent a copy of each course (other than White and recreational).

E.11.2 For fees refer to Section A.20.2 and A.20.3.

E.12 Maps

E.12.1 Symbols shall conform to the "International Specification for Ski-Orienteering Maps" when possible. Deviant or additional symbols necessary because of local conditions are permissible, but they shall be published beforehand in the Event Information.

E.12.2 Maps should be in color. The scale can be in the range of 1:10,000 to 1:30,000. It is recommended that the scale of "sprint" race may be from 1:10,000 to 1:20,000. Contour intervals can be from 3 meters to 10 meters.

E.12.3 Mandatory one-way travel on some or all ski tracks should be indicated on the map with directional arrows on or beside the track(s) affected.

E.13 Course length and climb

E.13.1 Course measurements should be based on the shortest skiable route between controls not requiring bushwhacking.

E.13.2 The "sprint" Blue course shall be planned for a winning time of 40-50 minutes. The "sprint" Red course shall be planned for a winning time of 30-40 minutes.

E.13.3 The "long" Blue course shall be planned for a winning time of 70-90 minutes. The "long" Red course shall be planned for a winning time of 50-70 minutes.

E.14 Course markings on the map

E.14.1 The competitors' maps should have the course pre-marked in transparent waterproof PMS purple. Pre-marking of maps is done in a fashion very similar to that of foot-orienteering.

The alternative, having competitors copy from master maps, is permissible within an indoor starting area. A sufficient number—at least 3 per course—of master maps must be available. Master maps are not appropriate for a U.S. Championship event.
In either case, all competitors must be able to view the course for an equal amount of time prior to when their starting time officially begins. Any event with more than 50 skiers should use pre-marked maps.

E.14.2 In ski-O the marker control number is printed on the map, next to each circle designating a control. No description sheet is required since the control descriptions are very simple (e.g. trail junction, bend of trail) and can be determined just from looking at the map.

E.15 Additional overprinting for denoting passability

E.15.1 All skiing tracks shall be indicated on the map. Other features which represent skiable routes (such as roads and paths) are assumed to be passable if nothing else appears on the map or in Event Information.

E.15.2 To indicate passability, skiable tracks and trails should be overprinted on the competition map in a green printing color with the following symbols:

Skating track, 1.5 meters or wider—continuous line
Diagonal track, 1-1.5 meters wide—dashed line
Narrow, rough trail - caution—dotted line
Sanded or snow-free road—V symbols

E.15.3 When tracks and trails are not overprinted in green, all skiable tracks and trails must be printed on the map. Trails on the map which are not skiable should be marked with a series of purple or green perpendicular slashes through the trails. Trails or roads that are sanded should be marked with a series of purple or green V's.

E.15.4 All passability symbols, whether consistent with or varying from the symbols above, should be announced in Event Information. Event Information should also describe the trail network by listing approximate percentages of:

skating track
diagonal track
narrow, rough trail
skiable road

E.16 Markings used on the ground

E.16.1 Since a snowfall may obliterate indistinct connecting trails which are indicated on the map, colored ribbons may be placed at these places to aid the competitors. The use of such ribbons (including color used) should be described in Event Information.

E.17 Refreshments and aid stations on the course

E.17.1 Blue and Red courses should have an official aid station with liquids about halfway through the course. Cold liquids should always be included at this station. To ensure competitors' safety, hot liquids should also be provided if the weather is severe and it is anticipated that most competitors will take 90 minutes or longer to complete the course. Arrangements for an aid station should be described in Event Information.

E.18 Start

E.18.1 In ski-O the handing out of the map shall take place not less than 1 minute before the start. (A pre-marked map is usually handed out one minute before the start. When the competitor must copy the course from a master map, the map may be handed out up to three minutes before the start.)

E.19 Finish

E.19.1 The final 100 meters of the course shall be at least five meters wide, allowing sufficient space for two skating skiers to approach and cross the finish line simultaneously.

E.20 Timing and placing

E.20.1 The finishing time shall be measured at the finish line. The time is to be taken at the moment the competitor's front foot crosses the finish line. Fractions of seconds over the whole second will be omitted. On principle it will be rounded off to minutes and seconds, or minutes and hundredths of minutes.

E.21 Fairness

E.21.1 A competitor shall not seek to obtain unfair advantage over fellow competitors, nor intentionally ski with or behind other competitors during the event in order to profit from their skill. The jury may disqualify a competitor for "following" if it finds s/he cannot draw the route skied, or upon other evidence.

E.22 The competitors:

must not use outside help when waxing their skis or repairing their equipment during the competition (i.e., when skiing the course)
may, however, use wax and waxing equipment offered by the control officials;
may carry the means for waxing and repair
are obliged to give—if requested—the track to a passing competitor when only one ski track or narrow skiable route is available
may be offered drinks only at official refreshment controls
are permitted to bring their own refreshment supply and renew that supply at refreshment controls

E.23 Equipment and aids

E.23.1 Clothing worn at ski-O events is optional, but shall be appropriate regarding safety for the weather conditions.

E.23.2 When required by the organizer, start numbers shall be worn clearly visible on the front side of the left thigh. Folding the start number is not allowed.

E.23.3 Each competitor must ski with the same skis and poles from the start via the controls to the finish, with exceptions as per Section E.23.5.

E.23.4 At championship or international events, or otherwise when required by the organizers, the skis of the elite competitors shall be marked by the organizer. The competitors shall see to it that their skis are marked. No more than one pair of marked skis is allowed per competitor. The markings will be controlled at the start and finish.

E.23.5 At the option of the organizers, an equipment control(s) may be designated where competitors can deposit spare ski equipment, wax and waxing equipment for use during the competition. Arrangements for an equipment control should be described in Event Information. A competitor may change ski equipment only at a designated equipment control, and can change no more than one ski and one pole at a given equipment control. An original ski must accompany the competitor at all times on the course.

E.24 Out of bounds areas and one-way travel

E.24.1 The prohibition against entering sown land, or land with crops, does not apply to ski-O.

E.24.2 When possible, ski-O competitions should be held at sites where competitors can travel on tracks or trails in either direction. Sometimes, however, one-way travel is mandated on some or all tracks by local authorities. This restriction should be indicated on the map (Section E.12.3) and in Event Information. Competitors are not permitted to ski the wrong way on a track indicated as one-way by the organizers.

E.25 Event control

E.25.1 Immediately upon the sanctioning of an "A" meet, the meet organizer shall select with the approval of the Ski-O Committee an Event Consultant and a Course Consultant.

E.26 U.S. Ski-Orienteering Team

E.26.1 A Coach will be selected by the Ski-O Committee on an annual basis. This selection must be approved by the Orienteering USA VP in charge of competition and the Orienteering USA Executive Committee. The Coach may be removed at any time by the Executive Committee; if that happens, the Ski-O Committee will then select a new Coach (again, subject to the approval of the Orienteering USA VP in charge of competition and the Executive Committee) as soon as possible thereafter.

F. RULES FOR ORIENTEERING USA SANCTIONED "B" EVENTS

F.1 Application of the Rules

F.1.1 Competitions described as "Club "B" Meets" where the club is chartered by Orienteering USA as a Regular or Associate Club shall be organized in accordance with these rules. It is only necessary to meet the provisions of this "B" meet Section, however it is recommended that the complete set of "A" meet rules be used as a guideline, and followed where practical or needed.

F.1.2 The club officials and the Meet Director will supervise the application of these rules.

F.2 Classes

F.2.1 Any division of classes may be used such that any competitor will be able to compete on the course of his/her choice. The minimum class structure shall be: M/F-White, M/F-Yellow, M/F-Orange, M/F-Red. It is further recommended that the following be included: M/F-Green, M/F-Blue.

F.3 Eligibility

F.3.1 Anyone desiring to compete is eligible.

F.4 Duties of the Meet Director

F.4.2 The club shall obtain all necessary permission from landowners, and forestry, state, and other pertinent officials.

F.4.3 To promote an acceptance of, and favorable attitude toward orienteering, the club should aim for a good relationship with other users of the forest and forest officials.

F.5 Applications to hold Orienteering USA "B" orienteering

F.5.1 At the time the meet is first publicly announced, and at least two months prior to the meet the Meet Director together with a club official will send to the Sanctioning Committee a copy of the Event Invitation and a letter certifying that they understand the "B" meet rules and that the meet will conform to them.

F.6 Invitation

F.6.1 An Invitation shall be published at least 2 months prior to the event in a way suitable for the event in question, and a copy will be sent to the Orienteering USA publications committee.

F.6.2 The Invitation shall contain the following information:

Date, category, form and type of the event.
Organizer, Mapper, and Course Setter.
Classes.
Courses and course lengths.
Address and final date of entry.
Fees.
Location of the event, and time for arrival.
Description of terrain and elements of risk, unique characteristics of the event.
Map type and scale, and year of field checking.
First start, and type of start.
Address and/or phone number where questions can be answered.

F.7 Results at an event

F.7.1 Results shall be posted in an announced place as soon as possible after the event.

F.8 Maps

F.8.1 A five color map, ideally conforming to IOF map standards, must be used.

F.8.2 Only scales between and including 1:4,000 and 1:20,000 may be used.

F.8.3 Corrections to the map in so much as they will significantly affect the competitors shall be posted.

F.9 Course length and climb

F.9.1 The proper winning times and the approximate course lengths for the various formats and courses are found in Section M.

F.9.2 Ultra Long Course orienteering for which the course lengths of the green, red, and blue courses will be increased, can be organized.

F.9.2.1 In Ultra Long Course events the winning times of the courses may be increased. See Section M.3 for details.

F.9.3 The course length for the different classes will be posted along with an explanation of the classes and the time permitted for the competition. (Section B.33.6)

F.25 Course markings on the map

F.25.1 The competition map or master map shall be marked as follows:

Start location or map issue point by an equilateral triangle
The control location by circles
The finish location by two concentric circles
Marked routes by dashed lines

F.25.2 The center of any triangle or circle shows the precise position of the feature, but it shall not be actually marked.

F.25.3 The control circles shall be numbered showing the required sequence. The numerals shall be printed with their tops oriented exactly toward North. The numbers shall be placed in such a way that they do not conceal important map features.

F.25.4 Except where there is a marked route, the triangle and circles shall be joined in numerical order by straight lines.

F.25.5 The control circles and their connecting lines shall be interrupted or drawn thinner when they obscure important objects on the map.

F.25.7 When pre-marking of maps is not practical the following procedures for the use of Master Maps at "B" meets shall be used.

F.25.8 An official will observe all activity at the master map area and will prevent distracting noise and unnecessary talking.

F.25.9 Removal of a master map by a competitor is cause for disqualification.

F.25.10 Persons may observe the master map area provided they are approved by the Meet Director and do not distract the competitors. The Meet Director may assign someone to observe these persons.

F.25.11 Red waterproof pens or pencils will be provided for the competitors at the master map area. In addition a black waterproof pen or pencil will be available if requested.

F.25.12 The minimum number of master maps will be determined by the start interval of each course at the following ratio:

6 master maps for 1 minute interval
4 master maps for 2 minute interval
2 master maps for 3 minute interval

F.25.13 If a master map is found to be in error at least two meet officials will meet to determine the seriousness of the error. If the error is determined to be serious the course will be voided. All master maps will be available for review after the competition

F.25.14 The master map area will be concealed from the view of all spectators and from all competitors who have not yet started.

F.29 Control flags and equipment

F.29.1 Every control feature shall be marked by a control flag.

F.29.2 If the usual control flags described in rule B.29.2 are not being used a sample flag must be on display.

F.29.3 The flag shall be hung on the feature indicated on the map. The actual position shall be in accordance with the control description.

F.29.4 The control flags shall be visible to the competitors when they have reached the features.

F.29.5 Ideally control flags shall be situated so that the presence or absence of competitors does not make them easier or more difficult to locate.

F.29.9 On each course refreshments consisting of at least potable water shall be provided at least every 2.5 km. Refreshments shall be provided at the start and finish and at appropriate control flags and indicated on the description sheets as such. There shall be enough water for each competitor to have 0.25 liters (8 oz) or more at each refreshment stop. In the event of hot weather additional refreshment locations are recommended. These additional locations need not be at control locations but must be indicated on the map, and the symbol used must be communicated to the competitors.

F.29.9.1 Water must be offered in a sanitary manner such that it is not practical for competitors to drink from "community drinking jugs."

F.3. Timing and placing

F.33.6 The time permitted for competition shall be posted when other than three hours, or 5 hours for Ultra Long Course.

F.35 Fairness

F.35.1 All persons which take part at an orienteering event, (competitors, organizers, team managers and so on) shall demonstrate a high degree of fairness, a sporting attitude, a spirit of comradeship and honesty.

F.37 Conduct during the event

F.37.3 It is the duty of each competitor to help anyone who is injured.

F.42 Duties of the Course Consultant

F.42.5 There should be sufficient personnel involved in the meet organization to provide effective starting, finishing and timing procedures. It is recommended that at least 4 people are involved.

F.45 Course Vetter

F.45.1 A vetter, someone other than the course setter, will be appointed. The vetter may be from the same club. The duties of the vetter are to:

Check the suitability of the start, the map issue point, the controls and the finish as well as their correct position.
Check the correct marking of the control flags, and the situating and visibility of the control flags and punches.
Make sure that the control descriptions are appropriate and that they correctly describe the positions of the controls. Make sure that the courses pre-printed on the maps, or the master maps are properly drawn.

G. RULES FOR ROGAINE COMPETITION

G.1 Application of Rules

The rules in this section are in effect rather than those which are applicable to individual orienteering events.

G.2 Definition of Rogaine

G.2.1 Rogaines are classified by Orienteering USA as group team events that use a score course format.

G.2.2 Rogaine events are conducted as long distance cross-country navigation for teams traveling on foot. The object is to score points by finding checkpoints located in the Rogaine area within a specified time. Checkpoints may be visited in any order

G.2.3. Rogaine-type events are also sometimes organized with competition on skis, bicycles, etc., or even in urban areas where public transport might be permitted. Such events work well with the same rule structure.

G.3 Entries

G.3.1 A team shall consist of two, three, four or five members.

G.3.2 A team that has a member less than fourteen years of age shall also have a member eighteen years of age or over.

G.3.3 Competition placing may be awarded in several categories based on the age and gender composition of teams. Each team shall be deemed to be entered for all categories of the competition for which it is eligible.

G.3.4 No member of a team shall have been involved with the organization of the Rogaine so as to have a prior familiarity with the Rogaine course, fieldwork or map.

G.3.5 Recreational entries will be open to people who are by virtue of one or more of these rules ineligible for placing in the competition. The organizers must determine that violating the rule/s will not disqualify or interfere with the eligible competitors. All other rules must be followed.

G.4 Respect for Land and Property

Unless stated specifically by the organizers, the following shall apply:

G.4.1 Competitors shall not cross newly sown ground, growing crops or any area deemed out-of-bounds by the organizers, without specific permission by the organizers.

G.4.2 Competitors shall keep a reasonable distance from dwellings and stock with young.

G.4.3 Competitors shall take due care when crossing fences, crossing at corner posts, solid posts or between wires wherever possible. Each team shall leave gates in the same state as they were found.

G.4.4 Competitors shall carry out or discard litter in appropriate containers.

G.4.5 Competitors shall not light fires on the course. Fires may be lit in the administration areas if expressly allowed by the organizers.

G.4.6 Competitors shall not smoke on the course.

G.4.7 Competitors shall not unduly damage or disturb native flora or fauna.

G.4.8 Dogs, firearms, and weapons of any kind are prohibited.

G.5 Conduct of Competitors

G.5.1 Competitors shall not enter the course, after obtaining map and checkpoint information, until the official start is signaled.

G.5.2 The only navigational aids that may be carried on the course are magnetic compasses, watches and copies of the competition map. The possession of other navigational aids, including pedometers, altimeters and GPS receivers on the course is prohibited. The use of relevant maps other than those expressly sanctioned by the organizers is prohibited.

G.5.3 Computers may not be used by competitors for planning their strategy.

G.5.4 Competitors shall travel only on foot unless otherwise specified by the organizers.

G.5.5 Members of a team shall remain within unaided verbal contact of one another at all times while on the course. A team shall demonstrate compliance with this requirement to any event official or other team on request.

G.5.6 A team shall surrender its score card to any event official, and shall advise their team number to any event official or other team, on request.

G.5.7 A team shall not accept assistance from, nor collaborate with, other people, nor deliberately follow another team.

G.5.8 No food nor equipment shall be left on the course before the event for a team's use, and any food or equipment cached on the course by the team during the event must be brought back by the team with them to the finish.

G.5.9 Each competitor shall carry a whistle at all times on the course.

G.6 Checkpoints

G.6.1 All team members shall simultaneously approach to within 20 meters, and within sight, of each checkpoint for which points are claimed.

G.6.2 In order to gain points for a checkpoint teams must punch the scorecard provided by the organizers in the correct square with the punch at the checkpoint marker and fill in any intention sheet at the checkpoint with the time of arrival, the team number and the number of the checkpoint that they intend to visit next. If a team punches an incorrect square, they must notify the organizers of the details of this immediately upon returning to the administration area to be eligible to be credited with that checkpoint.

G.6.3 In the event of the scorecard being lost, a team may record punch marks on any single sheet. The organizers will accept this so long as the punch marks are discernible, and the team can identify to the organizers the checkpoint number for each of the punch marks.

G.6.4 Competitors shall not deliberately rest within one hundred meters of a checkpoint unless the checkpoint is also a water drop.

G.6.5 Competitors shall not adversely interfere with a checkpoint, water drop or any other facility.

G.7 Administration Areas

G.7.1 Whenever a team visits an administration area, all team members are required to report together to the organizers and surrender their team's scorecard. The team shall only collect its scorecard immediately prior to leaving that administration area.

G.7.2 A team shall finish by all of the members reporting together to the designated finish administration area and surrendering their scorecard.

G.7.3 If a competitor wishes to withdraw from a team for any reason the entire team shall return to an administration area and notify the organizers. The original team shall be deemed to have finished the event. If a new team is formed it may be admitted to the competition at the discretion of the organizers but no points shall be credited for checkpoints already visited.

G.8 Penalties and Protests

G.8.1 The penalty for breaching these rules is disqualification except for rules G.5.2 and G.5.4. Any team disqualified under this rule shall be recorded as disqualified (DSQ).

G.8.2 A team that breached any rule for any reason may voluntarily withdraw by advising the organizers immediately upon finishing. The team will be recorded as withdrawn (W/D).

G.8.3 Within forty-five minutes of finishing, a team may report in writing to the organizers about any team thought to have breached these rules, or may protest in writing to the organizers about any actions of the organizers that they consider made the competition unfair. Protests will be ruled on by a protest committee formed by the organizers.

G.8.4 A team that is not satisfied with any decision of the organizers protests committee may appeal in writing to the Orienteering USA grievance committee within seven days of the publication of the official results. This committee shall have the power to overrule the organizers and to amend the results accordingly. Appeal of the grievance committee's decision may be made to the Orienteering USA Board of Directors.

G.9 Scoring

G.9.1 The event shall end at precisely the set number of hours after the actual starting time, both times as defined by the organizers' clock. Teams finishing late will be penalized at the rate per minute or part thereof specified in advance by the organizers. Teams finishing more than thirty minutes late shall be deemed ineligible for a placing and their result shall be recorded as overtime (OVT).

G.9.2 A team score shall be the value of the checkpoints visited and correctly verified in accordance with these rules, less any penalties. The team with the greatest score or in the event of a tie the team that finished earlier shall be awarded the higher placing.

G.9.3 In the event of a checkpoint being damaged or deemed misplaced or missing by the organizers, teams shall be awarded the checkpoint score.

G.9.3.1 If the punch is missing or damaged but the team has a correct record on the intention sheet.

G.9.3.2 If the punch is missing and there is no intention sheet, but the team can satisfy the organizers that they visited the correct site.

G.9.3.3 If a checkpoint is missing or misplaced but the team can satisfy the organizers that they visited the correct site.

G.9.3.4 For a correctly recorded visit to a misplaced checkpoint.

G.10 Safety

G.10.1 In an emergency the distress signal is 3 short blasts of the whistle repeated at intervals.

G.10.2 In the event of an emergency, a team shall give any assistance asked for. In such a case the assisting team shall not be penalized for any rules broken in the course of giving assistance.

G.11 Organizers

G.11.1 Organizers are responsible for preparing for all aspects of conducting the event to permit compliance with all applicable Orienteering USA Rules and requirements specific to a Rogaine.

G.11.2 Questions about organizing a Rogaine shall be directed to the Orienteering USA Rogaining Committee.

G.11.3 The organizers shall at all times be guided by a sense of fair play.

G.12. Class structure for Rogaining Events

There is no class structure for Rogaine competition, only categories of teams. Teams are divided into categories of Men, Women, and Mixed for purposes of awards. Within each category, there is a division by age (on the first day of the event) into 4 subcategories.

G.12.1 Junior. All members of team 18 years of age or less.

G.12.2 Open. No age restrictions

G.12.3 Veteran. All members of team 40 years of age or greater.

G.12.4 Superveteran. All members of team 55 years of age or greater.

Some teams may fall into multiple age categories. In this case the team is eligible for awards in all categories in which they meet the criteria. It is normal to give awards to the first three places in all categories, but a single physical award may be used for a team that has achieved awards in multiple categories. The number of categories may be condensed (e.g. no Superveteran class).

G.13 Technical Requirements for Rogaining Events

G.13.1 Orienteering control markers are normally used to mark checkpoints. These must be supplemented with a sign-in sheet at which all teams must indicate their arrival time and intended next checkpoint as in accord with rule G.6. In addition, it is usual in the U.S. to provide some form of reflective marking at night (often a small PVC tube wrapped with reflective tape hung on the string for suspending the control flag, or small patches of reflective tape on the faces of the control markers), so that the range of visibility of the control flag is extended to a level similar to the daytime situation. This may not be necessary in low-vegetation parts of the country. As electronic punching becomes more standard, it is quite possible that the pin punch on a standard orienteering control may be substituted by an electronic device.

G.13.2 A Rogaine is traditionally 24-hour duration. For other events, shorter or potentially longer durations would be acceptable. It is common in the U.S. to concurrently run two or more different duration events on the same course.

G.13.3 Maps for a Rogaine may be specifically produced for the event, or may be modifications of an existing (typically USGS) map with the addition of magnetic north lines, possibly additions to reflect changes in trails, roads, out-of-bounds areas, etc. Usually the scale of map should be between 1:24,000 and 1:63,360. The mapped area needed for a 24-hour Rogaine is typically 150 square kilometers or greater, with an optimal route choice requiring somewhat over 100 km to reach all control locations. The actual area of terrain in use might be somewhat smaller, but it is undesirable for safety reasons to place controls right at the edge of the mapped area, as going off map may be harder for recovery than in a shorter orienteering event. Map scale must be announced to competitors well in advance of the event, preferably on the publicity announcements. The map determines the suitability of control sites--the topographic information is usually much less detailed than on an orienteering map, and the control sites are necessarily placed on coarser features.

G.13.4 It is usual to have approximately 50 to 60 control locations for a 24-hour rogaine. Explanations for substantially larger or smaller numbers of controls should accompany a sanctioning request.

G.13.5 The most common scoring schemes use the number used as the control code of the checkpoint to give the score value for the control. Usually it is worth either the value of the control code rounded down to the next lower multiple of 10 (e.g. control 67 is worth 60 points), or else exactly the value of the control number. Points are deducted for being overtime. The most common deduction scheme is 10 points per minute late. Other schemes might be acceptable, but should be explicitly discussed and explained at the time of a sanctioning request... Other scoring methods could be submitted to the sanctioning committee for consideration, but different schemes tried in the past have generally met with competitor dissatisfaction.

G.13.6 There is no need to exclude the use of control codes under 32 as in traditional orienteering, unless electronic punching is used, then numbering restrictions apply.

G.13.7 It is usual to provide drinking water at several selected controls in the rogaine. If there are reliable sources of water (spring, lake or stream) naturally occurring at many places on the course which could be safely made drinkable with iodine or ultra filtration treatment could be substituted. It should be noted in a sanctioning request and all advance publicity about the event what approach will be taken towards the provision of water.

G.13.8 It is obligatory for the organizers of the event to provide food at the administrative headquarters for a stated period during the event. The food service should be continuous, and might typically last from 4 hours after the start until 1 hour after the finish. It is also standard for there to be camping facilities for the competitors also available at the event headquarters (for a 24-hour event).

G.13.9 It is normal to have a period of planning time after issuance of the maps before competitors are allowed on the course, and this time is not counted in the duration of the event. A typical time allowance is two hours for a 24-hour event. This time should be stated in the meet announcement.

G.13.10 It is worthwhile to review the rather detailed suggestions for organizing a rogaine on the International Rogaining Federation web site http://www.rogaining.com/

G.13.11 Rogaining Championships: United States Rogaine Championships are sanctioned and recommended for bid by the Orienteering USA Rogaine Committee. The Championships are awarded by the Orienteering USA Board of Directors.

G.13.11.1 Eligibility: Each member of the team must be a member of Orienteering USA. No member of the team may compete in the same calendar year for the same category of championship in any other national championships.

G.13.11.2 Courses: For championship purposes, it is necessary to have a Rogaine of the traditional 24-hour duration.

G.13.11.3 Format: Championship bids must be of the format described by G.2.1 and G.2.2.

G.13.11.4 Classes: All team categories will be offered for championships.

G.13.11.5 Awards: Awards will be given to the first three places in all categories, but a single physical award may be used for a team which has achieved awards in multiple categories.

H. RULES FOR TRAIL ORIENTEERING COMPETITION

Orienteering USA Trail Orienteering events follow applicable portions of the IOF Trail Orienteering Rules.

H.1.1 The current Competition Rules for IOF Trail Orienteering Events document is dated 1 February 2011 and can be found via a link at http://orienteering.org/trail-orienteering/rules/

H.1.2. The current IOF Technical Guidelines for Elite Trail Orienteering are dated 2009 and are to be followed for Orienteering USA Trail Orienteering events. They can be found via a link at http://orienteering.org/trail-orienteering/event-organising/organisers-g...

I. RULES FOR NIGHT ORIENTEERING EVENTS

I.1 Application of the rules

I.1.1 Except where specifically noted in this section, the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to all Night Orienteering events sanctioned by Orienteering USA.

I.2 Definition

I.2.1 The competition is an individual timed event in which the competitor with the lowest elapsed time is declared the winner. At a sanctioned "A" event, awards shall be given for the winners in each age group category represented. At the Night Orienteering Championships a champion shall be declared for each age group category represented. A night orienteering championships will not be accepted for Championship Bid by the board of directors unless they are held in conjunction with another sanctioned "A" event.

I.3 Hours of competition, and site lighting

I.3.1 The course of a night event shall be run entirely in the dark. The first start shall be at least 1 hour after sunset, and the last at least the time limit plus one hour before sunrise.

I.3.2 Ideally, area lighting in any area of the competition other than areas designated by the event organizers as necessary for the successful and safe completion of the event will not be used. The organizers shall make the competitors aware of such areas.

I.4 Competitor's equipment

I.4.1 Equipment for night orienteering includes that allowed by the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering, Section B.36, plus the competitor is also required to carry a light source. A backup light source may be carried in case of failure.

I.4.2 In a Night Orienteering event, artificial illumination carried by the competitor shall be subject to the following limitations:

If the light source is an incandescent bulb, its maximum wattage shall be 20 W.
If the light source is a fluorescent lamp, its maximum wattage shall be 20W.
If the light source is a chemiluminescent light source, any brightness may be carried by the competitor.
A secondary light source that does not consume electric power greater than 1.0 VA, and may be used as needed to read the map and other associated materials and devices.
A chemiluminescent source may be used for this function.
No open or contained flame shall be used by a competitor, except in the case of emergency. In the event of such an emergency, the competitor will be given a SPW finish.

I.5 Site Marking Equipment

I.5.1 The control site marker may be illuminated, carry a reflective device, or neither, as the event organizers shall decide and publicize.

I.5.2 No control site shall be placed in, or close enough for the control site to be affected by any area using fixed point, artificial lighting, when the fixed point, artificial lighting in that area varies in an unpredictable manner.

I.6 Safety

I.6.1 In a Night Orienteering event, the event officials shall take due care to minimize the hazards and risks to the competitors, spectators, and those assisting with the event, and to publicize, in a suitable manner, those risks and hazards specific to the event site.

I.6.2 Any routes or crossings which require marking to direct the competitor along a fixed route or direction, or to warn them away from a hazard, shall not be part of a Night Orienteering course. Exceptions to this rule shall be the start and finish chutes.

I.6.3 Any hazardous, impassable, or uncrossable feature, other than fences, shall not be used as a control site, or probable route choice.

J. RULES FOR INTERCOLLEGIATE COMPETITION

J.1 Application of the Rules

J.1.1 Except where specifically noted in this section, the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to all intercollegiate events sanctioned by Orienteering USA.

J.2 Definition

J.2.1 Intercollegiate competition is an individual point to point format competition for eligible college students. Students compete for individual awards and can compete on teams for team awards.

J.3 Maps and Courses

J.3.1 Maps and courses must meet the requirements for "A" Meet competition

J.4 Course Class Structure

J.4.1 In addition to the standard course/class structure the following intercollegiate classes are added.

ICVM: Intercollegiate Varsity Males on the Red course
ICVF: Intercollegiate Varsity Females on the Green course
ICJVM: Intercollegiate Junior Varsity Males on the Orange course
ICVF: Intercollegiate Junior Varsity Females on the Orange course

J.5 Eligibility

J.5.1 All standard course/class entrants are eligible based upon their age class.

J.5.2 Intercollegiate class eligibility is as follows:

Be a full-time college or university student. (Undergraduate or graduate as defined by the college or university)
Be less than 28 years old as of December 31 of the current year.

J.5.3 Varsity class competitors must compete the a varsity class.

J.5.4 Junior Varsity competitors must have not competed in the intercollegiate varsity class.

J.6 Scoring

J.6.1 Teams: The winning Team is determined by adding the lowest three times from among the eligible team members each day. The team with the lowest total time over the day or days of competition is the winning team.

J.6.2 Individuals: The winning individuals will be those with the lowest total time over the day or days

J.7 Competitions

J.7.1 Team: The Intercollegiate events will have two school team competitions and one club team competition, Team structures are as follows:

J.7.1.1 School Teams

J.7.1.1.1 Varsity. An Intercollegiate School Varsity Team shall consist of up to 5 competitors made up of any combination of men and women who meet the following criteria:

Are eligible for intercollegiate Varsity competition
Attend school on the same campus.

J.7.1.1.2 Junior Varsity. An Intercollegiate School Junior Varsity Team shall consist of up to 5 competitors made up of any combination of men and women who meet the following criteria:

Are eligible for intercollegiate junior varsity competition
Attend school on the same campus

J.7.1.2 Club Teams
An Intercollegiate Club Team shall consist of up to 5 competitors made up of any combination of men and women who meet the following criteria:

Are eligible for intercollegiate Varsity competition
Are all primary members of the same Orienteering USA club

J.7.2 Individual: The Intercollegiate events will have individual competition for the four intercollegiate class.

J.8 Intercollegiate Championships

J.8.1 Competition: There will be competition for every type of intercollegiate team and for every individual intercollegiate class.

J.8.2 Individual Eligibility. Individual Intercollegiate championship eligibility is as follows:

Be Orienteering USA members in good standing
Meet championship eligibility requirements in section A.5.2
Meet intercollegiate class requirements in section J.5.2
Varsity class competitors must have competed as eligible competitors in fewer than four intercollegiate championships
Junior Varsity competitors must have not competed in the intercollegiate championships in the varsity class

J.8.3 Team Eligibility. Team Intercollegiate championship eligibility is as follows:

Be Orienteering USA members in good standing
Meet championship eligibility requirements in section A.5.2 OR be legally enrolled as a full-time student at a U.S. college or university
Meet intercollegiate class requirements in section J.5.2
Varsity class competitors must have competed as eligible competitors in fewer than four intercollegiate championships
Junior Varsity competitors must have not competed in the intercollegiate championships in the varsity class

J.8.3.1 All team members must meet the team eligibility requirements.

J.8.4 Awards

The top 3 eligible finishers in each of the intercollegiate individual classes shall receive an award.
The top 3 Varsity and Junior Varsity intercollegiate teams shall receive an award.

K. RULES FOR INTERSCHOLASTIC COMPETITION

K.1 Application of the rules

Except where specifically noted in this section, the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to all interscholastic orienteering events sanctioned by Orienteering USA.

K.2 Definition

The Interscholastics team competition is defined as a modified team competition. Each member competes as an individual and some or all members contribute to a team score. Teams are gender neutral. Each team may consist of any combination of male and/or female from the eligible classes. The Interscholastics individual competition is defined as individual combined score in each interscholastic class.

K.3 Competition

K.3.1 Team
The Interscholastics will have eight team competitions. The team with the lowest score over the day or days competition is the winning team. Individual contribution to team score is determined by using the scoring methods in K.7.

K.3.1.1 Varsity: Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISVM and/or ISVF classes.

K.3.1.2 Junior Varsity: Junior Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISJVM and/or ISJVF class.

K.3.1.3 Intermediate: Intermediate teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISIM and/or ISIF classes.

K.3.1.4 Club Varsity: Club Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISVM and/or ISVF classes.

K.3.1.5 Club Junior Varsity: Club Junior Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISJVM and/or ISJVF classes.

K.3.1.6 Club Intermediate: Club Intermediate teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISIM and/or ISIF classes.

K.3.1.7 JROTC Varsity: JROTC: team of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISVM and/or ISVF classes and meet the requirements in K.4.1.4.

K.3.1.8 JROTC Junior Varsity: JROTC: team of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISJVM and/or ISJVF classes and meet the requirements in K.4.1.4.

K.3.2 Individual
Individual competition will be held for each of the eight interscholastic classes. Each individual starter shall receive a calculated elapsed time or an incomplete designation (DNF, MP, and OT). The winning individuals are determined by lowest individual time over the day or days competition.

K.3.2.1 Interscholastic Varsity Male

K.3.2.2 Interscholastic Varsity Female

K.3.2.3 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Male

K.3.2.4 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Female

K.3.2.5 Interscholastic Intermediate Male

K.3.2.6 Interscholastic Intermediate Female

K.3.2.7 Interscholastic Primary Male

K.3.2.8 Interscholastic Primary Female

K.3.3 Championships

K.3.3. 1 Interscholastics Team Championships: The Interscholastics Team Championships are awarded for each of the interscholastic team competitions.

K.3.3.2 Interscholastic Individual Championships: The Interscholastic Individual Championships are awarded for each interscholastic class. Additional Individual Championships are awarded for JROTC students in varsity and junior varsity classes.

K.4 Eligibility

K.4.1 Team

K.4.1.1 School Teams

Members must be enrolled full-time at the same private or public school.
Members must each be able to show school ID for the same school or, if the school does not issue IDs, a letter from the principal stating that the students are enrolled full-time at the school.
School teams compete for Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate team standings.

K.4.1.2 Home School Teams

All team members must be from the same geographical area. This area would consist of their county or city of residence or the public school district in which they reside, whichever area is geographically larger.
Individuals who are enrolled at a public or private school are not permitted to compete on a Home School Team but must compete with their school’s team or as individuals.
Home School teams compete for Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate School team standings.

K.4.1.3 Club Teams

All team members must be primary Orienteering USA members of the same Orienteering USA sanctioned Orienteering Club.
All team members must meet the grade requirements for the class in which they are competing.
All team members must be enrolled in a public or private school or be home schooled.
All team members who attend a public or private school must be able to show a school ID or, if the school does not issue ID, a letter from the principal stating that the student is enrolled full-time at the school. If home schooled, the student cannot be enrolled at a public or private school.
Teams may not include more than two members who are enrolled full-time in the same school, and who are otherwise eligible for Varsity or Junior Varsity Team competition.
Teams may not include any members who are enrolled full-time in a school for which a team is competing in the same Varsity or Junior Varsity team category.
The Coach of the Club Team must provide a letter stating that all members meet the eligibility requirements.
Club teams compete only for Club Varsity, Junior Varsity or Intermediate team standings.

K.4.1.4 JROTC Teams

JROTC teams competing for the JROTC trophies must be made up of students who are enrolled in the same JROTC unit in accordance with the host military service requirements.
JROTC teams compete for JROTC varsity and JROTC junior varsity team standings.
JROTC teams may also compete for the School varsity and junior varsity team standings if they meet the school team requirements in K.4.1.1.

K.4.2 Individual
Individuals at Orienteering USA sanctioned competitions must be competing in one of the interscholastic classes.

K.4.3 Championship

Individuals at Orienteering USA sanctioned U. S. Interscholastic Championships must be competing in one of the interscholastic classes and meet eligibility for U.S. Champion rule A.5.2.
Every individual on a team at Orienteering USA sanctioned U.S. Interscholastic Championships must be competing in one of the interscholastic classes AND either meet eligiblity requirements for U.S. Champion rule A.5.2 OR be an Orienteering USA member in good standing and be legally enrolled full-time in a U.S. school.

K.5 Courses & Classes

K.5.1 Classes

The following eight classes will be added for Interscholastics competitions. These classes will be used in individual and team competition.

K.5.1.1 Interscholastic Varsity Males (ISVM): Interscholastic Varsity Males compete on the Green course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.2 Interscholastic Varsity Females (ISVF): Interscholastic Varsity Females compete on the Brown course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.3 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Males (ISJVM): Interscholastic Junior Varsity Males compete on the Orange course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.4 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Females (ISJVF): Interscholastic Junior Varsity Females compete on the Orange course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.5 Interscholastic Intermediate Males (ISIM): Interscholastic Intermediate Males compete on the Yellow course and are in any grade through nine.

K.5.1.6 Interscholastic Intermediate Females (ISIF): Interscholastic Intermediate Females compete on the Yellow course and are in any grade through nine.

K.5.1.7 Interscholastic Primary Males (ISPM): Interscholastic Primary Males compete on the White course and are in any grade through six.

K.5.1.8 Interscholastic Primary Females (ISPF): Interscholastic Primary Females are on the White course and are in any grade through six.

K.5.2 Courses

The following courses are used in interscholastic competition. It is recommended that separate courses for the interscholastic class should be prepared. See START K.8.1

K.5.2.1 Green
K.5.2.2 Brown
K.5.2.3 Orange
K.5.2.4 Yellow
K.5.2.5 White

K.6 Awards

K.6.1 Team

K.6.1.1 At regular Orienteering USA sanctioned competitions, team awards will be given to the top three teams in each team competition and/or each member will be given an individual award.

K.6.1.2 At the Orienteering USA sanctioned U.S. Interscholastic Championship competition, each member of the first eligible team will receive an individual championship medal.

K.6.1.3 At the Orienteering USA sanctioned U.S. Interscholastic Championship competition, traveling Brunton Cups will be awarded to the first eligible School Varsity, School Intermediate, and JROTC varsity teams. Orienteering USA traveling cups will be awarded to the first eligible school Junior Varsity and JROTC junior varsity teams.

K.6.2 Individual

K.6.2.1 For regular Orienteering USA sanctioned competitions, the top three finishers from each interscholastic class will receive an award.

K.6.2.2 For the U.S. Interscholastic Championship competition, the first three eligible finishers in each interscholastic category will receive a championship award. The first three eligible JROTC finishers in ISVM, ISVF, ISJVM, and ISJVF will receive individual JROTC championship awards.

K.7. Scoring

K.7.1 Individual: For regular Orienteering USA sanctioned competitions and for sanctioned U.S. Interscholastic Championship competition, scoring for individuals in each of the eight interscholastic classes will be by two-day total time.

K.7.2 Team: Scoring for team awards in each of the eight U.S. Championship Interscholastic Team Categories (School Varsity, Club Varsity, JROTC Varsity, School Junior Varsity, Club Junior Varsity, JROTC Junior Varsity, School Intermediate, and Club Intermediate) will be done as follows:

K.7.2.1 For each interscholastic class, define AWT (the average winning time) as the average of the times of the top three individual or team U.S. Championship-eligible competitors in that class. In the event that there are fewer than three eligible competitors with a valid time in any interscholastic class, the AWT shall be calculated as the average of the times of all eligible competitors with a valid time.

K.7.2.2 For each competitor in each interscholastic class with a valid result, their score is computed as 60*(competitor’s time) / (AWT for the class).

K.7.2.3 For competitors with an OT, MP, DNF or DSQ result, their score will be the larger of 10+[60*(course time limit) / (AWT for the male class)] and 10+[60*(course time limit) / (AWT for the female class)] for their team level (Varsity, JV, or Intermediate).

K.7.2.4 The best three scores each day for each team are combined for a team score.

K.7.2.5 Lowest overall team score wins.

K.7.3 Calculation and Display of Scores

K.7.3.1 For calculation purposes the decimal should be carried as far as the used system will allow.

K.7.3.2 For display purposes the decimal should be carried one or two places, or as far as necessary to indicate an order or tie. We recommend two decimals be the standard. This would accommodate 10,000 unique individual scores.

K.7.4 Tie Breaking

K.7.4.1 Initially, if two or more scores are exactly the same, break the tie by considering the total times.
K.7.4.2 If that fails: – consider the positions of the team's fourth members.
K.7.4.3 If that fails: – consider the time of the fourth positions.
K.7.4.4 If that fails: – consider the same as above for the fifth positions.
K.7.4.5 If that fails: – accept the tie. It must be valid.

K.8. Start

K.8.1 Intervals: Start intervals shall be no less than 2 minutes. (Rule A.13.4) Special care needs to be taken when assigning start times for interscholastic classes. Students from the same school on the same course shall be started a minimum of 6 minutes apart. All students from the same school should be started as close together as possible to assist their chaperones with logistics. In the event that Interscholastic competitors fill up the maximum start window on a course (Rule A.3.3.1), make a separate course for the interscholastic competitors. In the event the start window fills up even with a separate course, a one minute start interval or a qualifier/final may be used.

K.9. Qualifier/Final

K.9.1 Qualification Races: Qualification races for interscholastic events may be used if offering separate courses because the start window fills. First day will be a qualifier and second day a final.

K.9.2 Courses: Two separate courses, A and B, are needed each day if qualifier/final races are used. Special care needs to be taken when vetting the two courses to insure that the winning times for each are as equal as possible.

K.9.3 Start intervals: Start intervals for the qualifier and final will be as explained in K.8.1.

K.9.4 Team scoring

K.9.4.1 Qualifier: Team scoring for the qualifier will be based upon the top three finishers from the team. Members of the same team will be evenly distributed between the two courses of the qualifier. In the event one of the qualifier races is thrown, out the times from the remaining course will be used. If a team does not have three members on the course, the average of the members on the remaining course will be used to bring the number of finishers up to three as needed.

K.9.4.2 Finals: For the finals, teams will be divided into A and B finalists. The highest scoring teams from the qualifier will be put on the A final course until the start window fills. All other teams will be put on the B final course. All members from a team will be on the same course with the winning team being determined by adding the lowest three times from among the eligible team members. The winners from the A final will be the winners of the competition.

L. RULES FOR RELAY COMPETITION

L.1 Definition

EMPHASIS: Team competition, in a mass start format.

L.2 Course Class Structure

In the relay event the runners in each relay team complete their individual segments sequentially. A relay team has two or more runners. Each runner completes a course as in an individual event. Competitors may run different courses but each team as a whole must run the same set of legs and visit the same controls.

L.2.a Relay Segments
Each relay team competing in the same category shall run the same combination of legs, whether in the same order or in a different order shall be at the discretion of the event organizers. Relays shall be made up of at least two segments.

L.2.b Teams
Teams shall consist of at least at least two (2) competitors.

L.2.b.1 Teams shall be categorized by total points based on the orienteering age and gender of their members. The exact number of categories/points for a specific event shall be decided by the event organizers (see L.2.b.2, below). In the event that no specific category/point system is established by the event organizers prior to the time limits set forth in rule L.2.b.2, the following default category/point system is to be followed:

Ages 17-20 or 35-49 receives 1 point
Ages 15, 16 or 50-59 receives 2 points
Under 15 years of age or 60 and older receives 3 points
A female orienteer receives 2 points, in addition to any age points.
[ex. 15-year old female = 4 points; 47 year old male = 1 point; 23 year old male = 0 points]
Team point categories are as follows:
4-point
8-point
12-point

L.2.b.2 The point teams and categories for a specific relay event, as decided upon by the event organizer(s), must be announced 6 months before the race, preferably in the sanctioning application, and made available to all interested parties. If no such announcement is made, the point teams and categories for that specific event revert to the defauls described in Section L.

L.2.b.3 Awards will be given to the three fastest club teams in the categories used at the event. For a mass start relay event, if the last leg runners finish together, the position of the team is determined by the finish order of the last leg runner.

L.2.b.4 There shall be a minimum of two team categories in any relay event. Other categories may be added at the discretion of the event organizers.

L.2.c Courses

L.2.c.1 An example of categories/courses could be as follows:

Lowest point teams shall have no more than two segments of at least Orange (moderate) level difficulty, the remaining segments being equivalent to Brown through Red difficulty.
Medium (to High) point teams shall have no more than one segment of Yellow (easy) level difficulty, no more than one segment of Orange (moderate) level, any other segment equivalent to Brown through Red difficulty.
Optional - High point teams shall have no more than two segments of Yellow (easy) level difficulty, no more than two segments of Orange (moderate) level, any other segment equivalent to Brown through Red difficulty.

L.3 Technical Rules

L.3.a Maps
Relay map scales of 1:10,000 or 1:15,000 for M/F-21+, 1:10,000 for all other classes. Contours of 5m or 2.5m, or other intervals if explicitly approved by Sanctioning Committee are allowed. ISOM standards apply.

L.3.b Venue
Terrain selection for relays—Choosing terrain with an arena for the start, finish, exchange, and spectating is extremely important for the relay event. The terrain should provide a fair test of orienteering for all skill levels, and shall not be so extreme, physically or technically, as to exaggerate team separation. Varying visibility conditions are desirable.

L.3.c Courses
Course planning—Relay courses should provide spectating opportunities, most typically at least one loop through the spectator area, in addition to the final approach to the Finish. The courses shall test all skills as the terrain allows, with a special attention to route choice and varied visibility to increase the competitive excitement. The course design may incorporate a forking system, provided that all teams ultimately run the same legs, and the last section of the last leg, roughly 1.0km, must be common for all teams.

L.4 Scoring and Timing

L.4.a Start Interval
Start formats are at the discretion of the organizers. On the second and each of the subsequent legs a changeover between the runners on each team takes place by touching, either by way of direct physical contact or using an object (such as a stick, or a map) within a limited space immediately after the line where the elapsed time is measured. Competitors waiting for the return of their teammates may be started with a mass start at a time determined by the event organizers.

L.4.b Time Limit

L.4.b.1 For mass starts the time limit must at minimum be the winning time, plus any mass start delays the organizers add for the legs after the first start. The organizers will have to announce the time limit before the start.

L.4.b.2 For a sequential start, the organizers will have to announce the time limit before the first start.

L.4.c Winning Time
WINNING TIMES: 150 minutes (all current categories)

L.4.d Scoring: The results are determined using the combined time of the competitors in a team.

L.5 United States Relay Orienteering Championships

L.5.a Definition
For any U.S. Championship competition, the Rules in the relay section apply, except as specified in this championship section. The United States Relay Orienteering Championship must be sanctioned by the Sanctioning Committee and then authorized as a championship by the Orienteering USA Board.

L.5.b Course Class Structure
For any U.S. Championship category, the relay shall consist of at least four (4) segments. U.S. Championship categories/courses shall be as follows:

Lowest point teams shall have no more than two segments of at least Orange (moderate) level difficulty, the remaining segments being equivalent to Brown through Red difficulty.
Medium (to High) point teams shall have no more than one segment of Yellow (easy) level difficulty, no more than one segment of Orange (moderate) level, any other segment equivalent to Brown through Red difficulty.
Optional - High point teams shall have no more than two segments of Yellow (easy) level difficulty, no more than two segments of Orange (moderate) level, any other segment equivalent to Brown through Red difficulty.

L.5.c Teams: Teams shall consist of at least four (4) competitors for U.S. Championship categories

L.5.d Scoring and Timing: For a Relay a mass start shall be used for the first leg of any U.S. Championship relay.

L.5.e Eligibility

L.5.e.1 All team members must compete for their primary club.

L.5.e.2 All team members must meet U.S. champion eligibility requirements (A.5.2).

L.5.b Awards: The U.S. Relay Championship will be awarded to the three fastest teams in the championship categories used at the event.

M. RULES FOR INDIVIDUAL ORIENTEERING FOOT RACES

Unless otherwise stated, foot orienteering competitions are individual point to point races where all controls are taken in their ascending numeric sequence.

M.1 Rules for Sprint Format Orienteering

Application of the rules: Except where specifically noted in this section, the rules covered by the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to Sprint format orienteering events sanctioned by Orienteering USA.

M.1.a Definition

EMPHASIS: Sprint format emphasizes high speed orienteering.
COMPETITON: Sprint races are individual competitions.

M.1.b Course/class structures

M.1.b.1 Standard events: Sprints may have three or more courses with the standard Orienteering USA classes spread reasonably among the courses offered. When offering the standard class structure, the sprint format must be available to all advanced level classes. Courses for White/Yellow/Orange may be sprint or an alternate format, clearly stated in the event announcement.

M.1.b.2 Elite events: Elite Sprint events may be organized. See Section A.4.1.2.1.

M.1.b.3 Championships: The Sprint format will be included in the United States Individual Orienteering Championships event.

M.1.c Technical rules

M.1.c.1 Maps
Sprints use map scale 1: 4,000 or 1: 5,000 with a proportional contour interval, typically 2.5m, or other intervals if explicitly approved by Sanctioning Committee. Maps should endeavor to meet the specifications of ISSOM (Sprint mapping), especially for denser, urbanized settings. Otherwise ISOM standards shall be used.

M.1.c.2 Venue
TERRAIN SELECTION: Sprint terrain must be very runnable, with geometry that is complex at high speed. This can include urban, campus, parkland, and some forested terrains. Denser and more urbanized settings can create additional concerns with mapping, permissions, and policing.

M.1.c.3 Courses
COURSE TYPE: A Sprint course will be a point to point course.
COURSE PLANNING: A Sprint course should combine high speed map reading and quick decision making with technically easy controls. The challenge should be in navigating through complex environments at high speed, to control sites which are technically easy for advanced level orienteers. Controls should be primarily on advanced beginner (Yellow) level, or Intermediate ( Orange) level sites with nearby relocation options. Courses should include changes of direction, route choice as the terrain allows, and promote spectator opportunities. Unlike other formats, organizers may allow spectators throughout the course.

M.1.d Scoring and timing

M.1.d.1 Start interval: The start interval for Sprints must be no less than 30 seconds, with 1 minute recommended.

M.1.d.2 Time limit: The time limit for Sprints will be 1 hour

M.1.d.3 Winning time
WINNING TIME*: Sprint winning time should be 12-18 minutes for M/F 21, preferably in the lower end of this range, similar or less for other classes. If part of a multiple-course day, winning times for M/F-21+ should be reduced to 5–15 minutes.

M.1.d.4 Scoring: Lowest elapsed time determines a Sprint race winner.

M.2 Rules for Middle Format Orienteering

Application of the rules: Except where specifically noted in this section, the rules covered by the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to Middle format orienteering events sanctioned by Orienteering USA.

M.2.a Definition

EMPHASIS: Middle format emphasizes technical orienteering.
COMPETITON: Middle format races are individual competitions.

M.2.b Course/class structures

M.2.b.1 Standard events: Middle format races will have the standard Orienteering USA course class structure.

M.2.b.2 Elite events: Elite middle format events may be organized. See Section A.4.1.2.1.

M.2.b.3 Championships: The Middle format will be included in the United States Individual Orienteering Championships event.

M.2.c Technical rules

M.2.c.1 Maps
Middle format uses map Scale 1:10,000 with Contours 5m or 2.5m, or other intervals if explicitly approved by Sanctioning Committee. ISOM standards apply.

M.2.c.2 Venue
TERRAIN SELECTION: Middle course terrain should be very technical, or at least as technical as possible for a given region. Technical difficulty should be created by the presence and complexity of details, not the absence of features, or their lack of definition. Variety in the terrain character and vegetation conditions is desirable. Suitable terrain for beginner courses must still be provided.

M.2.c.3 Courses
COURSE TYPE: A Middle format course will be a point to point course.
COURSE PLANNING: The Middle course should be full of technical orienteering. Courses shall promote detail intensive navigation and use technically difficult, but fair, control sites. Variety in the terrain conditions, leg lengths, and changes in direction are desirable. Route choice is desirable, but not at the expense of reducing the technical challenge.

M.2.d Scoring and timing

M.2.d.1 Start interval: The start interval for middle format will be no less than 2 minutes.

M.2.d.2 Time limit: The time limit for middle format will be 2 hours

M.2.d.3 Winning time
WINNING TIME*: Winning time for Middle race is 30–40min for M/F-21+, similar or less for other classes. If part of a multiple-course day, the winning times for M/F-21+ should be reduced to 20–30min.

M.2.d.4 Scoring: Lowest elapsed time determines winner for Middle format races.

M.3 Rules for Long Format Orienteering

Application of the rules: Except where specifically noted in this section, the rules covered by the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to Long format orienteering events sanctioned by Orienteering USA.

M.3.a Definition

EMPHASIS: The Long format emphasizes all orienteering skills.
COMPETITON: Long format races are individual competitions.

M.3.b Course/Class structures

M.3.b.1 Standard events: Long format races will have the standard Orienteering USA course class structure.

M.3.b.2 Elite events: Long format elite events may be organized. See Section A.4.1.2.1.

M.3.b.3 Championships: The Long format will be included in the United States Individual Orienteering Championships event.

M.3.c Technical Rules

M.3.c.1 Maps
Map scale of 1:15,000 is encouraged for M/F-21+ Long courses, but if not practical, 1:10,000 is acceptable. For all other classes, 1:10,000 is standard, with Contours 5m or 2.5m, or other intervals if explicitly approved by Sanctioning Committee. ISOM standards apply.

M.3.c.2 Venue
TERRAIN SELECTION: Long course terrain can vary by region, but should contain some technical interest. Variety is always desirable. It is also desirable to have either pleasant vegetation, or route choice possibilities around thick vegetation. The terrain should not be excessively hilly, thick, or dangerous. It should be large enough to accommodate a suitable M-21+ course, but also must contain a section suitable for beginner courses.

M.3.c.3 Courses
COURSE TYPE: A Long format course will be a point to point course.
COURSE PLANNING: Long courses should provide as many challenges, and variety as the terrain allows. Route choice and long legs should be featured, as well as changing conditions and leg lengths. Technical difficulty should be generally high, but easier sections can contribute to change of pace.

M.3.d Scoring and timing

M.3.d.1 Start interval: The start interval for Long will be no less than 2 minutes.

M.3.d.2 Time limit: The time limit for Long will be 3 hours

M.3.d.3 Winning time
WINNING TIME*: Long course winning time, 80–100 min. for M-21+, 70–90 min. for F-21+, less for other classes. If Long courses are conducted on consecutive days, winning times should be reduced to 70–80 min. for M-21+ and 60–70 min. for F-21+ with other classes proportionally shorter.

M.3.d.4 Scoring: Lowest elapsed time determines winner.

*estimated or target winning time for U.S. 100-point M/F-21+ runner, other classes proportional. For all formats it is desirable to design the best course possible within the range, rather than striving for the exact middle of the time range.

M.4 Rules for Classic Orienteering

Application of the rules: Except where specifically noted in this section, the rules for Long Format apply (Section M.3).

M.4.a Definition
The term "Classic" refers to Long Format courses designed for multiple days of competition and with corresponding reduced winning times.

M.4.b Course/class structures

M.4.b.3 Championships: United States Two Day Classic Orienteering Championships awards are based on two-day total time.

M.4.d Scoring and timing

M.4.d.3 Winning time: The competition times for an orienteer with a ranking score of 100 and the approximate lengths for the various courses at multi-day events are:

Course	Optimum Winner's Time	Course Length
White	25-30 min	2-3 km
Yellow	35-40 min	3-5 km
Orange	50-55 min	4.5-7 km
Brown	45-50 min	3-5 km
Green	50-55 min	4.5-7 km
Red	60-65 min	6-10 km
Blue	75-80 min	8-14 km

M.4.d.4 Scoring: Lowest elapsed time or total time over multiple races determines winner.

M.5 Rules for Ultra Long Orienteering

Application of the rules: Except where specifically noted in this section, the rules covered by the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply to Ultra Long format orienteering events sanctioned by Orienteering USA. The Rules for Long format courses apply, except as altered in this Ultra Long Course section.

M.5.a Definition
EMPHASIS: The Ultra Long format emphasizes all orienteering skills. Ultra Long Courses are characterized by long legs with complex route choice problems. Ultra Long Course format is the same as the Long but the winning times and course lengths for the Brown, Green, Red, and Blue courses are increased. Other formats not described by Orienteering USA rules that maintain fairness in competition, minimize luck as a factor, and adhere to the Ultra Long Course requirements may be approved by the Sanctioning Committee. Any change of format must be clearly explained on the Meet Invitation.
COMPETITON: Ultra Long format races are individual competitions.

M.5.b Course/class structure

M.5.b.1 Standard events: Ultra Long format races will have the standard Orienteering USA course class structure.

M.5.b.2 Elite events: Ultra Long format elite events may be organized. See Section A.4.1.2.1.

M.5.b.3 Championships: United States Ultra Long Orienteering Championships will not be accepted for Championship Bid by the board of directors unless they are held in conjunction with another sanctioned "A" event.

M.5.c Technical Rules

M.5.c.1 Maps
Scale of 1:15,000 is encouraged for M/F-21+ courses, but if not practical, 1:10,000 is acceptable. For all other classes, 1:10,000 is standard, with Contours 5m or 2.5m, or other intervals if explicitly approved by Sanctioning Committee. ISOM standards apply.

M.5.c.2 Venue
TERRAIN SELECTION: Ultra Long course terrain can vary by region, but should contain some technical interest. Variety is always desirable. It is also desirable to have either pleasant vegetation, or route choice possibilities around thick vegetation. The terrain should not be excessively hilly, thick, or dangerous. It should be large enough to accommodate a suitable M-21+ course, but also must contain a section suitable for beginner courses.

M.5.c.3 Courses
COURSE TYPE: Ultra Long format course is a point to point course.
COURSE PLANNING: Ultra Long Course is characterized by long legs with complex route choice problems. Ultra Long courses should provide as many challenges, and variety as the terrain allows. Technical difficulty should be generally high, but easier sections can contribute to change of pace.
COURSE LENGTH: Ultra Long course lengths are the same as a Long format but the lengths of the brown, green, red, and blue courses are increased. See table M.5.d.3, winning time.
REFRESHMENTS: In addition to the normal refreshment controls, at approximately 2/3 of the way through the Ultra Long courses there shall be a manned aid station with clearly marked food, 2% sugar-water, pure water, first aid supplies, and evacuation facilities.

M.5.d Scoring and timing

M.5.d.1 Start interval: The start interval for Ultra Long will be no less than 2 minutes. Mass starts are permitted at Ultra Long course meets. In addition to the procedures described in these Orienteering USA Rules, an "individual relay" format may be used for Ultra Long course. There is a mass start for each class or the whole group. The courses consist of several loops through the start/finish area where a map exchange is set up. The competitors will run the loops in various sequences, but all competitors in the same class will run the same loops.

M.5.d.2 Time limit: The time limit for Ultra Long course shall be 5 hours.

M.5.d.3 Winning time: Ultra Long courses are Brown, Green, Red, and Blue. All other courses, White, Yellow and Orange are the same as Long format. Ultra Long courses should not exceed these lengths. The competition times for an orienteer with a ranking score of 100, are:

Course	Optimum Winner's Time	Course Length
White	25-30 min	2-3 km
Yellow	35-40 min	3-5 km
Orange	50-55 min	4.5-7 km
Brown	Maximum 80 min
Green	Maximum 90 min
Red	Maximum 100 min
Blue	Maximum 145 min

M.5.d.4 Scoring: Lowest elapsed time determines winner.

N. RULES FOR NORTH AMERICAN ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS (NAOC)

N.1 Application of the Rules

Except where specifically noted in this section, the Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering shall apply. These Rules are written so as to allow Orienteering USA organizers to convert their experience with Orienteering USA Rules into this international event.

N.2 Definition

This competition is held to provide a championship competition for members of IOF federations in North America.

N.3 Competition

The North American Championships shall consist of single sprint, middle, and long format races.

N.4 Eligibility

Competitions are open to everyone except as published by the host. To be eligible for the North American Championship title, a competitor must be a member of an IOF federation in the North American region and a citizen or legal permanent resident of the country in which they hold federation membership.

N.5 Courses & Classes

N.5.1 Sprint

N.5.1.1 Courses: Three sprint format courses. Additional courses will be added if the start window fills up.

Blue/Red
Green/Brown/Orange
Yellow/White

N.5.1.2 Classes: Standard Orienteering USA classes spread reasonably among the courses offered.

N.5.1.3 Winning Time: See Section M.1.d.3.

N.5.2 Middle

N.5.2.1 Courses: Middle format as defined in Section M.2.

N.5.2.2 Classes: Standard Orienteering USA classes distributed according to the Orienteering USA course/class structure.

N.5.2.3 Winning Time: See Section M.2.d.3.

N.5.3 Long

N.5.3.1 Courses: Long format as defined in Section M.3.

N.5.3.2 Classes: Standard Orienteering USA classes distributed according to the Orienteering USA course/class structure.

N.5.3.3 Winning time: See Section M.3.d.3.

N.6 Scoring

Placing for each format is determined by the competitor’s elapsed time.

N.7 Awards

There are first, second and third place awards for all competitors in each class for each format. There is a North American Orienteering Championship award for the first eligible competitor in each class for each format.

O. Appendix

O.1 Instructions for Choosing Course Difficulty and Competitive Class

At every "A" Meet sanctioned by the Orienteering USA you will find a number of different courses varying in difficulty so that you—whether you have never tried Orienteering or are a seasoned expert—will have a course you can successfully finish yet still find challenging. Orienteering courses are designated by a Color. Winning times are based on an orienteer with a 100pt ranking and are listed for Classic format courses. Sprint and Middle winning times are shorter, Long and Ultra Long are longer.

*****************

Course	Navigational Difficulty	Course Length	Optimum Winner's Time
White	Beginner	2-3 km	25-30 min
Yellow	Advanced Beginner	3-5 km	35-40 min
Orange	Intermediate	4.5-7 km	50-55 min
Brown	Short Expert	3-5 km	45-50 min
Green	Short Expert	4.5-7 km	50-55 min
Red	Medium Expert	6-10 km	60-65 min
Blue	Long Expert	8-14 km	75-80 min

Use the above course descriptions to decide which color course is best for you. Then on the chart below look down the list of different age/sex classes under your course color to see which one you will fit into. Use your age as of the end of this year. So if your 19th birthday is Dec. 31 you will use the age 19 class for the whole year. Notice the classes start with an "M" for male, and an "F" female or "M/F" if gender neutral. Next are numbers or dashes, or the course color. If a dash precedes a number it means "or younger," so -12 is for people up to and including age 12. If a plus is after a number it means "and older," so 35+ is a class for people 35 and older. "Gr" followed by a course color is for gender and age neutral competitive groups. There is M/F-White for non-competitive individuals. Within this system you can begin orienteering on an easy White course and advance one course at a time as you desire more challenge, finally reaching your championship class.

O.2 Orienteering USA Course Class Structure - competitive classes

Classic - 51 Classes
White	Yellow	Orange	Brown		Green	Red	Blue
F-10	F-14	F-16	F-18	M65+	F-20	F-21+	M21+
F-12	F-Yellow	F-Orange	F55+	M70+	F35+	M-20
M-10	M-14	M-16	F60+	M75+	F40+	M35+
M-12	M-Yellow	M-Orange	F65+	M80+	F45+	M40+
M/F-White	Gr-Yellow	Gr-Orange	F70+	M85+	F50+	M45+
Gr-White			F75+	M90+	F-Green	M-Red
			F80+	M-Brown	M-18
			F85+		M50+
			F90+		M55+
			F-Brown		M60+
					M-Green
Interscholastic - 8 Classes

White	Yellow	Orange	Brown		Green	Red	Blue
ISPF	ISIF	ISJVF	ISVF		ISVM
ISPM	ISIM	ISJVM

Intercollegiate - 4 Classes

White	Yellow	Orange	Brown		Green	Red	Blue
		ICJVF			ICVF	ICVM
		ICJVM
Age class ranges are indicated by a "-" and/or a "+". A "-" before the age means "and younger"; the "+" after the age means "and older". Gender classes contain M for male and F for female. Classes containing the course color are open to any age. Classes containing Gr or M/F are open to any age or gender. Classes containing "Gr" are groups. See Appendix O.7 (Course split guidelines) for information on class assignment when multiple courses of the same color are planned.

O.3 Orienteering USA A-MEET FEES COMPUTATION

In effect Jan 1, 2010

Name of Event _____________________________________ Hosting Club ______________

Date(s) of Event _____________________________ Total Competition Races ____________

Person preparing this report _________________________________Phone _______________

Email ____________________________________________________

Count all competitive entries for each Orienteering USA-Sanctioned Race. Do Not include map hikers or fun events held in conjunction with the event. Multi-part races on the same day constitute one Race. If more than3 Sanctioned Races are included in the Event, compute the remaining Races on a separate sheet and add to totals. Juniors are those under age 21.

Sanctioning fees:

Total per-Race competitive entries, Orienteering USA and non-Orienteering USA, including DNS, DNF, DSQ, and OVT unless the entry fees were refunded.

Note: Championships are all Orienteering USA bid events and IOF events.

Race 1 adults _______ x $4.00 ($5.00 championships) = $_________

Juniors _______ x $2.00 ($2.50 championships) = $_________

Race 2 adults _______ x $4.00 ($5.00 championships) = $_________

Juniors _______ x $2.00 ($2.50 championships) = $_________

Race 3 adults _______ x $4.00 ($5.00 championships) = $_________

Juniors _______ x $2.00 ($2.50 championships) = $_________

Total _______ SubTotal $__________

Non-member surcharge:

Total per-Race competitive entries, excluding members of Orienteering USA, COF, and IOF federations.

Race 1 adults _______ x $4.00 = $_________

Juniors _______ x $2.00 = $_________

Race 2 adults _______ x $4.00 = $_________

Juniors _______ x $2.00 = $_________

Race 3 adults _______ x $4.00 = $_________

Juniors _______ x $2.00 = $_________

Total _______ SubTotal $__________

Total Amount Due Orienteering USA (sum of SubTotals) $__________

Make checks payable to Orienteering USA and mail to PO Box 1444, Forest Park GA 30298.

Payment is due 4 weeks after the event.

Revised 12/01/2009

O.4 Format for Reporting Meet Results

O.4.1 Format as required by Ranking Committee.

O.4.2 Information as required by Ranking Committee.

O.4.3 The following abbreviations are approved:

DNF -- Did not finish
DNS -- Did not start
DSQ -- Disqualified (other than time)
OVT -- Overtime
DNR -- Did not register
SPW -- Sporting withdrawal
MSP -- Mispunch

O.5. Application of Orienteering USA and IOF Rules

O.5.1 Orienteering USA Meets not part of the IOF Calendar

When putting on an Orienteering USA "A" meet all the rules in sections A, B, and C apply and should be followed. When putting on an Orienteering USA Ski "O" meet the rules in section E should be followed, and when putting on an Orienteering USA "B" meet the rules in section F should be followed.

O.5.2 Orienteering USA Meets also on the IOF Calendar

When putting on Orienteering USA Meets that are also on the IOF calendar including WREs, World Cups, or International Championships, the Orienteering USA rules should be followed except where there is a difference between the Orienteering USA and IOF rules, in which case the IOF rule is the rule that should be followed. These events require an IOF event adviser to be assigned.

O.6 Cross Reference of Meet Jobs to Rules

This cross reference is designed to assist workers at meets by outlining the specific rule sections they should know best when performing their job. It is highly recommended that each worker read the complete set of rules before starting work on a meet. This reading is best done prior to making your plans. Special care should be taken to understand fully the sections listed below that pertain to your areas of responsibility. In addition, you should re-read the sections listed in this cross reference as the date of the meet approaches so you can find any omissions and correct any errors in your area of responsibility.

O.6.1 Meet Director and Event Consultant

It is important that these people are familiar with the entire set of rules. Be sure that the proper planning is done to produce an accurate invitation, and that if exceptions to any rules are made they areincluded in the meet information.

O.6.2 Course Setter, Course Consultant, and Vetter: These jobs deal primarily with rules B.23–B.32 and B.38.

O.6.3 Field Supervisor: Rules A.10–A.14, and B.21–B.38

O.6.4 Map Consultant: Rules in section B.22.

O.6.5 Publicity, Registration, and Check-in: These rules deal mainly with information needed by the competitor. Since standardization between meets is impossible (and in many cases not desirable), it is important that the competitor is properly informed about what to expect. The rules are quite specific as to the minimum information a competitor should have at and before a meet. Rules A.4–A.5, A.10–A.14, and B.27.

O.6.6 Start: Take particular care to see that competitors waiting for their start cannot see the direction that starting competitors are taking. Rules B.31, B.36.

O.6.7 Finish: Rules B.32–B.33, and B.36.

O.6.8 Results: Rules A.4, A.16, and B.33.

O.6.9 Awards: Rules A.4–A.5, and A.15.

O.6.10 Course pre-runners: This is the final check that everything is correct. You should be familiar with the technical and information rules to be sure that nothing has been omitted. If you catch an error fairness can be preserved by properly informing people of the situation at the start. Rules A.14, and B.25–B.32.

O.7 Course Split Guidelines

To avoid confusion to runners, the following method of splitting courses is strongly recommended:

O.7.1 When Green or Red courses are split, men should run on the X course and women should run on the Y course.

O.7.2 If there is a desire to balance these “split” courses, the first classes to be moved should be the “open” classes. Then the oldest category will be moved to the other course. Typically, M60+ moves to the Y course. Similar changes can be made with M45+ moving to the Red Y course.

O.7.3 When “balancing” occurs with people running on a different course than normal, the labels on map boxes must be made exceedingly clear, including every class using that course, to avoid confusion.

O.7.4 In some cases, more courses may be needed and these courses can be designated letters adjacent to X and Y: Z and W, for example.

Courses should be split in this way to avoid as much confusion as possible and have runners pick up the correct map. Starters should also be aware of any abnormal situation so they can help runners pick up the right map. When people come to A-Meets often, they come to expect certain things so having a standard method for assigning classes to courses is not just a minor issue. While most meets only split the green and red courses, other level courses may be split in the same way as outlined for green and red. Clear signs on the map boxes is a must to avoid confusion for all runners.

The purpose of splitting courses is often to balance the number of people on each course. With approximately the same number of starts on each course, the start window isn’t extended for just one course. Assigning classes to a particular course is of some importance because runners like to compare their results with people they typically run against but sometimes balancing numbers on the different courses is important for the running of the meet.

Secondary menu

U.S. Orienteering Rules of Competition

Orienteering USA

Rules for Orienteering Competition

Table of Contents

PREFACE

Purpose of revision

Contact for Rules issues

Changes from previous version

Orienteering USA Rules for Orienteering

A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A.1 Application of the Rules

A.2 Definition and basic characteristics of orienteering

A.3 Classification of Orienteering USA events

A.4 Classes

A.5 Eligibility

A.6 Duties of the Meet Director

A.7 Applying for an A-meet

A.8 Orienteering USA Orienteering Event Calendar

A.9 Competition leaders

A.10 Invitation

A.11 Entries

A.12 Training

A.13 Draw and starting list

A.14 Event Information

A.15 Awards

A.16 Results at an event

A.17 Jury

A.18 Protests

A.19 Secrecy

A.20 Reports and Fees to Orienteering USA

B. TECHNICAL REGULATIONS

B.21 Competition Area

B.22 Maps

B.23 Competition Courses

B.24 Course Length and Climb

B.25 Course markings on the map

B.26 Additional overprinting

B.27 Control descriptions

B.28 Markings used on the ground

B.29 Control flags and equipment

B.30 Control card

B.31 Start

B.32 Finish

B.33 Timing and placing

B.35 Fairness

B.36 Equipment and aids

B.37 Conduct during the event

B.38 Out of bounds areas

C. EVENT CONTROL

C.39 Event Consultant

C.40 Duties of the Event Consultant

C.41 Course Consultant

C.42 Duties of the Course Consultant

C.43 Costs for Consultants

C.44 Reports from the Event and Course Consultant

C.45 Course Vetter

C.50 National Rankings

C.51 Ranking Awards

D. U.S. FOOT ORIENTEERING TEAMS

D.1. Senior Team

D.2 Junior Team

D.3 Authorization for IOF Competition

E. RULES FOR SKI ORIENTEERING COMPETITION

E.1 Application of the Rules

E.2 Definitions and basic characteristics

E.3 Classification

E.4 Classes

E.5 Invitation

E.6 Calendar

E.7 Event Information

E.9 Jury, postponement and cancellation

E.10 Secrecy

E.11 Reports and fees to Orienteering USA

E.12 Maps

E.13 Course length and climb

E.14 Course markings on the map

E.15 Additional overprinting for denoting passability

E.16 Markings used on the ground

E.17 Refreshments and aid stations on the course